Just A Small Town Girl II: Back From The Big City
by FE Frog
Summary: Sequel to JSTG. So what, Geoffrey's dating a farm girl, breaking every rule in the book and angering princesses everywhere? He's more worried about spending Christmas with Nephenee's family. Modern Nephenee X Geoffrey
1. Home Sweet Home

FE Frog: So here it is, what you've ALL been waiting for!

The sequel to JSTG... (The first one is HERE: fanfiction .net/s/4787961/1/Just_a_small_town_girl Just take out the space between fanfiction and .net)

I _seem_ to be writing more than usual, but who knows if it will last? I am working on the second chapter, but I don't really want to post it until I finish the 3rd as well (It seems like a good idea to me...)

Now I will make a compilation of all the people who took their time to review... Because I can...

**Lionwings  
>nublet765<br>XxSecretStoriesxX  
>PINKDIAMOND4000<br>****xLinkk  
>Fe Frog Fan<strong> (I love you too grandma... 3)  
><strong>spygirly<br>HotDiggetyDog  
>Trueblade Hinata<br>HaveAHeart0301  
>Bubbles745<strong> (Where oh where did you go, Megsy? I haven't talked to you in FOREVER!)  
><strong>Rast8a<strong>  
><strong>NaXyld<strong>  
><strong>NewPaladin<strong>  
><strong>NinjaSheik<strong>  
><strong>dark armadillo<strong>  
><strong>Kellehendros<strong>  
><strong>FireEdge<strong>  
><strong>TriforceLuigi<strong>  
><strong>Percussion Obsessed<strong>  
><strong>Rini Tsukino<strong>  
><strong>Blue Orbi Angel<strong>

Phew! That's done. Now I don't have to go through all those reviews anymore! But it's all thanks to you guys that I was able to finish JSTG 1 and now JSTG 2! SO THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! And hopefully you can review and inspire me to write faster (Is that TOO much to ask for?)

And if I get any new readers (which I'm hoping for, because there's plenty of new people to the fandom) I ask you to PLEASE review. No, not jsut because I like feeling loved... Okay, maybe I _do_ like feeling loved, but I get enough views and whatnot. What confuses me most is you people who go as far as FAVOURITING my story (I feel so special!) but don't even review... It makes me sad :(

ANYWAYS, onto the story! Enjoy!

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><p>"No, no... They're there..." Nephenee gasped, yanking Geoffrey back and holding onto his arm. They stood in the middle of the crowd of people who had also just gotten off the 747 from Sienne. They either glared at the two in the way, or simply passed without looking back.<p>

Geoffrey pulled his arm away and looked at her, putting a hand on either of her cheeks. "Re-lax." He grinned, as if amused by it all. Nephenee wasn't. She was horrified. "We already went through this the Goddess knows how many times! I would never judge you because of them. If you think that, you're an idiot."

"I'm an idiot." Nephenee said with a slight pout. "I always have been."

Geoffrey closed his eyes, "Nephenee... From what you've told me, your parents won't eat me alive. I'll still like you no matter what they say or do." He smiled, "And if you want me to make it up to you, I'll bring you to the palace for New Year's or something. Now meeting _my_ dad will scare you... A lot."

Nephenee nodded, "O-Okay..."

Geoffrey leaned down and kissed her gently, pulling away after a moment and smiling, "Let's go."

The farm girl couldn't help but smile. She always did when he kissed her. It didn't happen often enough... Only two other times so far, once in the snow, and the other to calm her nerves when they boarded the plane. It was mostly because she got all nervous and red-faced when he tried. With an extra boost of confidence as he squeezed her hand, they went.

Nephenee's eyes lit up as her family came into view. She let go of Geoffrey's hand to run for her parents and little sister.

"Nephi!" Callia screeched as her big sister picked her up.

Geoffrey slowly and awkwardly approached. They weren't quite what he had expected... Maybe because all of the people he knew had a twig for a mother and an aristocrat or general for a father. Both were often hardened and strict. But the O'Malleys... They were so cheerful! And their plumpness really only showed how well they lived. Not to mention, most of it was just muscle in disguise.

Nephenee turned to him, the little one in her arms, "Everyone... This 'ere is Geoffrey Delbray."

Geoffrey bowed at the waist. A perfect 90 degree bow, not too long and not too short. These were people to respect, regardless of class. He straightened back up, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. O'Malley."

They all gawked. Mr. O'Malley nudged his older daughter's arm, "Is his head on right?"

Geoffrey was speechless. He had been raised to be respectful to elders! He would have been punished for even a slightly miscalculated bow!

Mr. O'Malley switched to a grin and put out a hand, "I'm joking with ya. You nobles are so serious all the time. You need to loosen up a bit." He waited for Geoffrey to shake his hand to continue, "Call me Yorick."

Geoffrey let out a sigh of relief as he shook Yorick's hand. The man's grip surprised him. Years at the palace and even his little bit of military training had taught him to decipher a person through a mere handshake, and Yorick was no different. Geoffrey could tell he worked hard... His hands were rough and calloused. But they were gentle never the less, meaning he was an amazing father to all his children and never raised a hand to them. He was a good man. After that, he moved onto Saerah-as she told him to call her- who was the same, although her hands were slightly softer and nurturing. They were definitely both great people and caring parents who were loved by many, related or not.

The little girl with long, auburn hair prodded Geoffrey's side, taking his attention. "I'm Callia! I defend the family!"

Geoffrey held back a laugh as he crouched down in front of her, "You must be awfully strong, then."

Callia grinned, "Oh yes. I'm so strong I could take you on _any day_, so don't get any ideas!"

"Callia!" Nephenee snapped, "That's not very nice."

But she was ignored as Callia narrowed her eyes, "Don't try anything funny with Nephi. Or else..." She leaned in and whispered, "I'll send my fire-eating dragon Rajaion after you!"

"Don't you mean fire-_breathing_?" Geoffrey asked.

Callia shook her head defiantly, "Nope! Rajaion _eats_ fire. He breaths it when he spits it back out. He's a very special dragon."

Geoffrey nodded, "I see." He smiled, "I promise I won't do anything. Rajaion sounds scary." He stood back up and looked to his girlfriend, "Shall we get our bags, then?"

Nephenee nodded excitedly. She probably couldn't wait to get home. "Sounds good!"

The group headed to the car after picking up luggage. Yorick took the wheel, Saerah in the seat beside him. Callia climbed in and buckled her seat belt over herself, then relaxed into her booster seat. Nephenee motioned inside to the noble man at her arm, "You can sit with Callia, if you want. No doubt my parents will want to ask you tons of questions."

Geoffrey was hesitant to climb in after the little one, buckling the seat belt as Nephenee sat behind him and closed the door.

"All aboard!" Yorick asked rather loudly, sticking his arm out the window as if to pull a train whistle, Saerah mimicking the sound and making Callia giggle.

"We're all ready to go, Operator!" Callia shouted in response.

Geoffrey looked back at a red-faced Nephenee who slouched in her seat and covered her face. Geoffrey simply grinned, before turning back toward the front where Yorick was making _chuga-chuga-choo-choo_ sounds as the car pulled out of it's parking spot. The car made it's way out of the airport parking (traffic was bad because of Christmas coming up in a little over a week, and all the students were coming home from all over Tellius for break) and pulled onto the road, where there was still a giant line-up of cars.

Yorick looked back, "So, Geoffrey, your father is the duke of...?"

"Count, actually. He's the Count of Fayre. It's the same thing, really."

"Ah yes..." Yorick nodded, "The blonde haired one who talks funny."

Geoffrey couldn't help but smile, "Yes, him. He also holds power over Delbray, but I'll inherit the territory when I marry. Mine and Lucia's surnames are also Delbray because of it."

Yorick was impressed, to say the least, "Inherit the territory? You'll be duke?"

"Something like that."

Saerah looked back and winked at her daughter, who sank into her seat even more, even pulling her hat back on for comfort.

Callia's eyes were big and bright, "Does that mean Nephi will be a Princess if she marries you?"

"Callia!" Nephenee shouted suddenly, gaining everyone's attention. She bit her lip, "I mean, we might not get married..."

Geoffrey was smiling, obviously amused at this turn of events, "You never know, Neph. It's soon to tell, yes, but what if we do?" He turned to Callia, "Unfortunately, she won't be a Princess. I'm not a royal, only a noble. But she _will_ be a Duchess."

"Geoffrey..." Nephenee whined, but it fell on deaf ears.

Callia gasped, "Really? Can she still wear a tiara, though?"

"Of course." The blue haired noble looked back at Nephenee, "And she'll wear pretty dresses every day and have her hair done professionally, eat gourmet food and live in a castle."

The little girl beside him oohed and aahed at every mention, "Really?" She looked back at her sister, "Nephi! You might not get to be a Princess, but you'll live like one!"

Nephenee tugged the lip of her hat down even more, covering her nose along with her eyes. "Thanks, Callia, but it might not even happen." She muttered.

Geoffrey's smile was wilting. Did she not want it to happen? The last thing he wanted was to be going to all this trouble for someone who wasn't as interested in him as he thought. _He_ could see them getting married one day, and she would look drop-dead gorgeous in the dresses and jewelery that came with the title 'Duchess of Delbray'. She already had the beautiful face and amazing complexion. The stylists would love her too. He looked back to Callia, "Don't listen to her. When she's a Duchess, we'll treat you like a Princess. You can even live in the castle with us!"

"Really?" She turned to her mother, "Mama! Can I live in the castle with Geoffrey and Nephi when they get married?"

Saerah laughed, "Of course, dear..."

_An easy promise_, Nephenee thought, _As much as I'd hate to admit it, Geoffrey will probably get bored with me eventually. I can't see myself marrying a noble, anyways... Or wearing pretty dresses and having multiple people touch my hair at the same time_.

The rest of the ride was just talking, laughing, and Mr. and Mrs. O'Malley embarrassing Nephenee to no end. She was glad that at least Geoffrey _pretended_ to be interested in her parents' ramblings. Callia was giggling the entire time and exclaiming how she couldn't wait to be a Princess. Nephenee had never seen her sister like this because usually Callia would be talking to Rajaion on planning battles against the mean boy at school. Ones that Saerah prayed would never come about, and thankfully they didn't.

"Here we are!" Yorik pulled into the parking lot... of a car rental place?

The car stopped, and Nephenee woke up, "Are we home?" She asked, rubbing her eyes. The drive from Melior was so long, and the talking wore her out. They were actually at a car rental place, the closest to Ohma. Yorik figured that it would be best if Nephenee and Geoffrey had their own car in case they wanted to go somewhere on their own. Geoffrey had his own car at home, of course, but he hadn't thought to pick it up in the capital.

"Nope!" Yorik pulled the keys from the ignition and opened the door, "Geoff, why don't you come with me? Saerah can take over command in here."

"Oh, alright." Geoffrey unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door. Before getting up, he kissed Nephenee's forehead, "See you when we get there!"

Callia was giggling again. She had never seen someone other than family kiss Nephenee _anywhere_. "Kiss her again!"

Nephenee's eyes widened, suddenly fully awake, "What?"

Geoffrey merely chuckled, then went over to Callia and kissed her forehead as well, "Not now, okay?" And then he whispered something in her ear that Nephenee couldn't hear. That bothered the turquoise haired farm girl.

"What'd he say?" Neph demanded as soon as Geoffrey closed the van's door. She slid into his seat beside her sister.

Callia grinned a little too widely, "Nooooothin'! He told me it was a secret!"

Nephenee crossed her arms and glared at her sister, "Callia..."

Saerah turned to look back at her older daughter, "Neph, why don't you let them have their little game? I'm sure you'll find out some time." She moved to the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition, "He's awful nice, you know. Even for a noble."

Nephenee raised an eyebrow, "What do ya mean 'for a noble'?"

"Well, dear. Most nobles are born and raised to be polite."

The farm girl couldn't help but scoff. Her mother had never been around any other noble, where as Nephenee _had_. They were far from polite. There was Elincia, who wasn't all that nice. There was also that Naesala guy who always interrupted her wherever she went for some reason. Yet she didn't even know what he looked like...

"It doesn't surprise me that you would get the best of them all." Saerah laughed.

Callia laughed along, "Nephi would only ever get the best of the best!"

"And the most handsome too."

Nephenee rolled her eyes, "You guys are unbelievable."

Saerah grinned at her daughter through the rear view mirror, "Nephenee, you can't deny it. Your boyfriend is gorgeous."

"Yes, I know. I noticed when he first sat beside me on the plane to Sienne." She grumbled. She wasn't the same around her family. They brought out the best in her... and also the worst. This was about as bad as it usually got. "As soon as I get a boyfriend, that's all you talk about! What about _me_?"

Callia leaned her head against her sister's arm, "How was schoooooool?" She asked, looking up with big, round, green eyes.

Nephenee couldn't help the smile stretching across her lips, "Good. It's busy in Sienne."

Saerah chuckled, "What did you expect, sweetie? It's the biggest city in all of Tellius! How were your roommates? You told us about them, but never went into any detail, hun."

Nephenee laughed simply at the thought of Calill and Marcia, "Well... They're interesting. Calill loves shopping and herself. Marcia's a little more down to earth, you know? She has a crazy brother, though. She doesn't act like it, but you can tell she loves him more than anything." _No, she doesn't act like it at all_. Nephenee thought, looking down with a smile. "They've been friends for a long time, but I feel like I've been with them for a long time too, now. They helped me be more confident."

Saerah looked like she had tears in her eyes, "That's so sweet, hun. I wish we could meet them. They sound like great people."

"They are."

"And how have you been doing in school? Good Professors?"

Nephenee nodded, "Plenty. They're all extremely smart." Not like they wouldn't be. They get paid exuberantly to teach at the finest university in Tellius. "I'm doing well, too. I averaged at about 78% during mid-terms."

Saerah sighed, "Such a smart daughter I have. Daughter_s,_ I mean, Adrianna is doing well in Daein last I I heard." She smiled to herself, "A smart son, too. Aarron's one of the top students in his class in Gallia."

Callia lifted her hand, "What about me, mama?"

"And Callia, of course! Second smartest in her class!"

Nephenee looked down and smiled, "Second, Callia?"

Callia stuck her lip out, "Henry's first. Daddy says he's too smart for his own good."

"Callia! No need to say stuff like that!" Saerah snapped, making Nephenee laugh. She shook her head, "He's a smart child. You should respect him for it."

Callia wrinkled her nose, "Not when he shoves it in everyone's faces!"

Saerah huffed, "Let's stop with this, then."

"Okay..." Nephenee ruffled her sister's hair, "So how have you guys been without me?"

Callia leaned against her sister and pouted, "Nephi, it's soooooooooooooo boring! All of you guys are leaving and I'm all alone! I have no one to play with! And I have to collect the chicken eggs by myself! Do you have any idea what it's like to collect eggs by yourself?"

No, she didn't, actually. Unless you wanted to count in the grocery store. Then again, Geoffrey was there and even returned the eggs she had forgotten. Thinking about it made Nephenee sigh and wonder what Geoffrey and her dad were talking about. Were they even talking? Was Yorick talking non-stop and not letting Geoffrey say a word? He was like that when Adrianna first had a boyfriend...

"What's it like at the palace, Geoff?" Yorick asked after the Goddess knows how long.

"Uh... Well, it's big." Geoffrey ran a hand through his hair nervously. He had never experienced this kind of thing before. Sure, he had met King Ramon, but the King was far too busy to be bothered by his daughter's most recent boyfriend. By the time Elincia and him had gotten serious, his majesty was too sick to be bothered by anyone. Renning was the closest he had come to having one of the 'If you're going to date my daughter...' talks. And yet he had known Renning since he was a child, and the Prince was like a father to _him_.

"Must be pretty fancy, 'specially this time'o'year." Yorik chuckled. He followed closely behind the van where the girls seemed to be enjoying themselves. Much less awkward there.

"Yes, it is. They have designers come in and decorate the palace for the Holidays." Geoffrey said, trying his best to look at the man beside him. He was taught it was impolite not to look at the person you're speaking with.

Yorik looked over briefly, "Have you at all considered her hand?"

The question caught him completely off guard. From talk of the palace to _this_? Sure, they were joking about it in the car, but he wasn't actually going to ask anytime soon. They only met several months ago! They only started 'dating' less than a month before. Either Yorik was incredibly concerned for his daughter, or he was just incredibly old-fashioned. "I... We're taking it slow." He smiled sheepishly, "We don't even really kiss and haven't gotten past that stage."

Yorik nodded, "Good. You're both so young and have plenty of time." He looked over once more, "It takes a good, honourable man to treat a woman like you do."

_If only you knew_... Geoffrey thought. He didn't treat Elincia quite the same way, mainly because he had nothing to lose. Elincia preferred taking things fast, making sure the rest of Tellius knew who he belonged to. He had no objections as a teenager with hormones running rampant, but now a man, he knew better. Not to mention, he had so much more he could lose, Nephenee at the top of the list. At least the O'Malley's didn't seem to be the kind of people who looked into what was happening with their royals. "We do have lots of time." He finally agreed, "I just... I don't want to force her into _my_ world. When I get married, my father is passing Delbray onto me, and possibly even Fayre when he gets too old."

Yorik laughed, "Count Bastian will never be too old! I've seen the man in action. He is a respectable diplomat, and very dedicated."

"Yes, very." _Too dedicated. So dedicated he has no time for his children._ "But I still have schooling to do before then, and a life to attend to..."

"You're not much fond of the idea, are you?" Yorik finished.

Geoffrey sighed and nodded, "Yes... But my older sister isn't allowed to take over, even though she would love to."

"Tell me if I'm wrong, because I don't know squat about royal stuff, but that's a pointless rule. If she wants to take over, she should."

"Nobles are too stuffy and stuck on tradition. They don't realize this is the future and they needn't be so old-fashioned."

Yorik looked over one last time and smiled, pleased, "You know, you got your head on right after all. I like that."

Nephenee brought her suitcase up the steps to the front door, taking a deep breath at the top. The fresh, country air filled her nostrils, then her body and mind. It had been so long since she had last been in the clean air, instead of the polluted Sienne air. Sure, Sienne was full of old buildings that were gorgeous to look at, but the modern buildings towered over everything except the Tower of Guidance, the only ancient monstrosity to penetrate the skyline. The rest were flashy, glassy buildings built just because they could be.

But here... Here in Ohma, where the tallest things were the ancient trees that have stood far longer than the town itself, where the fields stretched out across the countryside, creating a patch-work of fields rimmed with lines of ancient trees, was the complete opposite of Sienne. The town itself was still surrounded by the 3 foot, old brick walls that had been built over 500 years prior. _This_ was beauty. Feeling the wind in your hair as you ride down the dirt roads, whether on bike or horse, the sun kissing you with it's soft rays. Or even walking into town with the sparkling snow all around you, untouched and uncontaminated by noxious gases released from factories and cars.

It wasn't superficial here, and neither were the people. Nephenee couldn't imagine living away from here for much longer, certainly not for the rest of her life.

"Nephi! This is too heavy!" Callia called, trying to drag Geoffrey's suitcase, covered in silver leather and royal blue velvet, through the snow to the steps.

Nephenee walked down and took the handle from her sister, "I've got it, don't worry. Could you bring mine inside instead?"

"Okay!" Callia bounded up the steps, tugging Nephenee's simple suitcase into the house with ease.

Nephenee sihed and started pulling the expensive suitcase along. It was a lot heavier than she expected. What did Geoffrey put in there? She somehow managed to pull it up the first four steps before her foot caught under the fifth and she tried to pull it out, slipping on the ice buried under the snow. She yelped, letting go of the handle as she fell back. Nephenee expected to fall into the compacted snow below, but instead it was warm arms she fell into.

"Careful, there." Geoffrey grinned.

Nephenee touched her chest, "Thank you! When did you get here?"

"While you were staring off into space, sweetheart." Yorik said, picking up the dropped suitcase and dusting the snow off the velvet, "Miss your home?"

"Very much," Nephenee giggled, her arms around Geoffrey's neck as he held her.

Geoffrey put the farm girl gently back down on the ground, "I can't blame you. It's gorgeous here."

Nephenee beamed back at him, eyes sparkling, "You think so?"

The noble smiled back. It was nothing like what he had ever seen. The capital could never compare to the natural beauty of Ohma. Just as not a single girl in that city could compare to the one in front of him. Not in a million years.

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><p>FE Frog: So... Was it worth the wait? The next chappie is coming soon. I'll admit that the beginning is kind of slow and whatnot, but... I dunno. <em>I<em> thought it was important.

Now I have to study...

Ick...

I hate exams...

Especially when I have **4**...

Blargh...

BYES! And please review? *Puppy eyes* I love constructive criticism as well!


	2. Not So Sweet After All

FE Frog: I bet you weren't expecting this so soon. No, I did not write the 3rd chapter yet because this one took FOREVER, but... Yeah.

Anyways, so this chapter is a little lengthy and has no real plot development if you ask me, but that will start in the next chapter. I have to get i_nto_ the story first, right?

Okay, so you guys can get into this as quickly as possible, here's the lsit of reviewers from the last chapter

Thanks to these people... I wouldn't be continuing without you!

**spygirly  
>nublet765<br>tripplefrozen  
>Marshall Taylor<br>meru-64**

Enjoy!

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><p>Nephenee sat in her bed staring at the ceiling. She felt at home, yes, even if home smelled a little musty compared to the brand new apartment in Sienne, or that the double mattress she slept on was nowhere near as comfortable as the king sized one she had gotten used to, or that she still had posters of horses and other random things on her walls instead of a hand painted portrait of the Lake Semper vista and a vase of flowers on soft, golden walls. It was still home no matter what it looked like. She had looked forward to coming here for Christmas, anticipating sleeping better than ever with family just down the hall.<p>

But for some reason, Nepehenee couldn't keep her eyes closed and drift off to sleep. Was it because of Geoffrey? She would have never guessed before this year that she would ever even meet the noble that graced her television screen every so often, let alone have him sleeping just down the hall in her brother's room. It was all too surreal, like a fairytale. She fully expected to wake up any day now from this strange dream land where common farm girls were dating noblemen who doubled as sex gods to the rest of Tellius.

And yet every day it didn't seem likely that she would ever wake up from this alternate world, even less that that her life would ever be normal again.

Nephenee looked to her right where Callia was curled up. The girl had begged their mother to let her sleep with Nephenee that night. After all, with a brother and older sister already off to university before she was even in school, Callia was closest with Nephenee and had missed her greatly when she was off at Sienne.

Nephenee brushed Callia's bangs back from her face, smiling at how innocent and vulnerable she looked. She was jealous of how easily Callia could fall asleep in bed with her big sister, happier than ever to have her back. Neph wondered what the girl was dreaming about. Was she dreaming about being a Princess like Geoffrey promised? Learning to fight with swords by day and wearing beautiful ball gowns by night?

The thought of Callia waltzing around in gowns not meant for farm girls brought another thought to her head. Sure they, had only been dating for around a month, but... What if Geoffrey asked her to marry him one day? What would she say? What would everyone else say? Aristocrats could be awfully scary. She saw it enough in the videos they showed her in school to give students an idea of how their county was run. They yelled and screamed, never coming to an agreement of any sort. Somehow, King Ramon managed to be diplomatic and calm every time. Nephenee envied the King, because he was so patient and stoic, even under all that stress. Everyone loved him, even the people in Daein who had been notorious for disagreeing with Crimea on many occasions in the past. The whole of Tellius had been heartbroken when news that King Ramon was sick with an unknown, incurable sickness broke out. Maybe he had finally crumbled under the pressure of being King, some thought. Maybe he was a mortal after all.

One thought lead to the next in Nephenee's mind. Soon enough, it was one o'clock in the morning and she still couldn't sleep. Sighing, she sat up. There was only one possible cure to her insomnia, and she usually kept it as a last resort. To her, it was weak to use it, but she was desperate.

It was time to go down and steam some milk.

At first, Nephenee felt bad for leaving Callia all alone, but she would only be 5 minutes at most. She slipped out from under the duvet, sliding her feet into her slippers as she got up and tiptoed to the door. Once at the staircase, Nephenee noticed a light on in the kitchen. Who else could have had such a hard time sleeping? Certainly not Geoffrey. He hardly slept on the plane, whereas Nephenee was out the entire time. He must have been so tired he collapsed as soon as he got into Aarron's bedroom.

Quietly, Nephenee snuck down the stairs and peaked in the kitchen. It was Geoffrey, who was drinking from a cup of steaming, brown liquid. Tea, maybe? Wouldn't that be counter productive seeing as most teas had caffeine?

Nephenee straightened back up, hoping to look more confident. And then she figured she might as well look tired so he didn't ask too many questions.

"Couldn't sleep?" Geoffrey asked, right beside her now, sipping from his cup of tea. Nephenee hadn't even noticed him approach, or that he had even sensed her presence on the other side of the wall. She was too busy trying to figure out how to walk into the kitchen. _I'm such an idiot..._

She simply blinked back at him, eyes gradually travelling downwards. 'Yeah' she wanted to say, 'I don't know why.' And then she would go in and not make her steam milk, instead try his tea to see if maybe a little caffeine would keep her awake for another hour or so, that way she could softly crash and be hushed away into dreamland.

That's not what happened, though. Instead, her mouth was opened slightly as she stared at Geoffrey's bare chest. "Isn't it cold?" She asked. Even that wasn't supposed to be said, instead it was to be kept as a thought in her head. It wasn't her night, was it?

Geoffrey chuckled, turned back into the kitchen and set his tea on the counter, "Not really. I'm used to the castle, which is surprisingly never properly heated. Your house is much warmer."

Nephenee shyly followed him in, putting her hands into her flannel pajama pants pockets. "We pay enough taxes for them to keep the castle boiling hot. What else do they spend it on?"

Geoffrey found himself laughing again. "Lots of pointless things. Like Elincia's credit card."

Nephenee scoffed, although this time more for laughs, "You mean my parents pay for all that crap?"

"Yes. Your parents and 47 million other people." He picked his cup back up and sipped, "Nobles are _oh_ so smart with their money."

Nephenee couldn't help but smile, "So will I have to bring some wool socks to wear while I sleep, then?"

"Of course not," Geoffrey put his cup back down and stretched his arm across Nephenee's shoulders, "You'll have me, of course."

The thought made Nephenee's smile vanish and a blush take over her face. Geoffrey sleeping beside her, arm wrapped around her in those fancy palace beds? As tantalizing as the idea was, she couldn't help but be curious of what else that might entail. Certainly nothing she was ready for.

Geoffrey sensed the farm girl's discomfort and took his arm away, "I'm kidding, really. You'll have your own bedroom, complete with it's own thermostat, I promise."

"Okay." Nephenee said. Again, it was supposed to sound forgiving, but instead came out as a meek squeak. She looked around for a distraction, settling on the teapot across from her, "What kind of tea?"

Geoffrey wrinkled his nose, "I don't think you'll like it, if you wanted some. It's a special Phoenician tea that helps calm the mind and body. I drink it a lot."

Was that code for 'I feel anxious around your family and desperately need something to keep my mind off of them'? Or was he saying that he had a lot of stress in his life? No doubt the latter was true, because he had brought the topic up on many occasions. It was the former Nephenee worried about.

But if it could help... "Can I try it, anyways?"

"If you really want. Just be warned, you might feel a little weird after."

Nephenee took a teacup out of the cupboard and poured, "How so?"

Geoffrey was silent for a moment as Nephenee took a first, experimental sip. As the liquid passed over her lips, they began to feel numb, and slowly the feeling followed the liquid as she swallowed. She looked down at the tea, confused.

"You get used to it after a while."

As the feeling spread into her arms and down her legs, Nephenee started to panic, "What's happening?"

"It numbs the nerves, then relaxes them. Soon it'll reach your head too. It's very calming in that it relaxes your whole entire body. After the numbness, that is."

Just as he said, the numbness in her lips went away and the nerves there were left feeling relaxed. The feeling followed the same track as before, spreading throughout her entire body. Lastly, her head felt fuzzy for a moment, and she found it hard to think, and then it all stopped and she felt completely and utterly relaxed. Any sort of tension was gone.

"Wow." was all she could say.

Geoffrey finished off his own and laid it beside the teapot, "I know, right? It's because of that tea that I was able to stay sane. It's a hell of a lot better for you than smoking or other... Not so great things."

Nephenee took another sip. The numbness came back a bit then went away, leaving her feeling more relaxed than she ever had before. "It's amazing, really. How did you find out about it? You said it's Phoenician, right?"

Geoffrey nodded, "Yup. The story behind it isn't really all that exciting, though."

Nephenee nudged him, "Come on. We have all night."

The noble rolled his eyes, but smiled nevertheless, "Okay, fine. When I was... 15 or so? Almost 16? Well, that's when my father had me completely submerged into the world of. Before he only wanted me to be polite, speak when spoken to and so on. Suddenly, I had to sit through royal meetings, meet foreign leaders or nobles and be judged by the rest of the world just like any other aristocrat. It was hard and I had no freedom. I rarely even saw my own sister because she was to stay with Elincia while I was prepared for the future. At the time, my only release was training. I wasn't allowed guns or anything, but they let me practice with other weapons like swords and bows and things like that. It wasn't enough for me, though.

"In only a few months, the stress was too much to handle. I fell into a depression where I had to drag myself out of bed just to go to practice. I never got much sleep, either, which worsened my condition. Prince Renning noticed pretty soon. I was the son he never had, and he wanted me to be happier. He couldn't do much about my 'responsibilities' but he was able to get some tea he said helped him when he was younger. I was skeptical at first- after all, it's just tea- but I was surprised at how much it helped. It was better than massages, and quicker too. I was able to relax and I slept better than I ever had before. Nowadays I don't drink it as much, but I guess I'm afraid I'll mess up in front of your parents and come off as some snobby rich kid, just like every other noble I know."

Nephenee's eyes widened, "What? No! They adore you! I mean, they ain't used to all the formalities, but they like you fine. They think you're awful nice."

Geoffrey smiled, partially at what Nephenee was saying, but also at how she was saying it. He doubted she realized she had reverted to her accent. Not that he minded, because he actually thought it made her sound cute.

Nephenee raised an eyebrow before realizing what had happened. "Um..." She said, trying to go back to a normal accent, "I-I'm getting tired now... G-Good... Good night."

Geoffrey lifted a hand as she scurried off, "Good night."

It took another hour of curling up under the covers, depsite the calming effect of the tea, before Nephenee finally fell asleep. It was a dreamless sleep, but maybe it was better that way.

By the time she woke up, sunlight shone through the window and Callia was gone. The smell of bacon and pancakes wafted into her room form downstairs, through the partially open. Food... It made Nephenee realize how hungry she was. Answer: _Really_ hungry.

She climbed out of bed once more, stretching her arms out and taking a deep breath of air. She squinted as she walked into the sun's rays and looked out over the snowy landscape. Sparkling snow everywhere, and then the bright red barn which looked like it had been painted that fall.

Sighing, Nephenee tore her gaze away from the window and walked out of the room.

Down the hall, Aarron's door was still closed. Was Geoffrey still sleeping? Or did he simply close the door behind him on his way out? It was on the way to the stairs, so Nephenee decided to peek inside and see. She knocked first, but there was no reply. She turned the doorknob and poked her head through, just to make sure. Geoffrey was still there, sprawled across the bed like any typical guy would, noble or not. One arm was thrown across his eyes while his other dangled off the side of the mattress. The blanket covered only part of his stomach and his lower body, but he didn't seem to mind.

The sight made Nephenee giggle. She wondered whether she should wake him up herself, leave him, or get Callia to jump on him. The latter would be amusing, but she could hear downstairs that the little girl was helping make breakfast. And as much fun as waking the sleeping noble herself would be, Nephenee just couldn't work up the guts for it. She backed out of the doorway and began pulling the door closed.

"Where are you going?" Geoffrey called out groggily before she closed the door all the way. Nephenee opened the door once again and looked back inside. Geoffrey was propped up on his elbows, blinking to get the sleep from his eyes, "Come here." He beckoned, rubbing his eyes before motioning with his hand for Nephenee to join him.

"And do what?" She asked, stepping into the room and closing the door partially, "Breakfast is almost ready."

He shrugged and motioned once more for her to come, "So they'll get us when they need us. Come."

Nephenee cautiously went forward, stopping beside the bed where Geoffrey was sitting and staring up at her, "Now what?"

Geoffrey chuckled, "You're not just going to stand there, are you?"

"Well," Nephenee huffed, "What else am I supposed to do?"

Instead of answering, Geoffrey pulled her down onto the bed. She fell too easily, shrieking as she hit the mattress. Geoffrey held himself over her, grinning madly, "You really should loosen up a bit."

"What are you doing?" She asked, touching her chest where her heart was beating unusually fast, "Trying to scare me?"

"Trying to be somewhat romantic, actually, and playful on the side." He said, rolling his eyes, "Like I said, you need to loosen up. And maybe not be so naive."

Well, seeing as where she came from... She blushed and bit her lip, "I'm sorry..."

Geoffrey leaned down and pressed his lips against her forehead. "It's okay," He said, pushing himself up and back into a sitting position, then offering a hand to help Nephenee back up, "I don't mind all that much. Most other girls I know are way to eager to do anything and everything."

Nephenee looked down, "I'm not really like most other girls, I guess..."

Geoffrey's smile returned again, "No, you most certainly are not. You have something most of them don't." He waited for her to raise an eyebrow in question before finishing, "Self-respect."

"Oh." Was all she managed to get out. What else was there to say?

Geoffrey sighed and pulled the covers up, coaxing Nephenee to sit beside him before laying the duvet over their legs. Nephenee's feet tingled from the warmth underneath as Geoffrey put one arm around her waist, laying his other hand over top one of hers. He didn't say anything, because words would only ruin it. Silence said enough. After all, there were only really three words that would fit properly, but neither was quite ready to say them.

They stayed like that until Callia yelled up for them to come down for breakfast. Neither really wanted to get up, but Nephenee worried that her parents would begin to assume things.

"Let's go..." She sighed, turning and getting off the bed. Geoffrey followed silently, taking her hand before they had even left the room. They were halfway down the stairs when Nephenee stopped. She pointed at Geoffrey and bit her lip, "You might want to get a shirt."

Geoffrey looked down, then blushed, "Oh. That might just be a good idea." And he bolted back up.

Nephenee rolled her eyes and continued without him, settling down at the table that was covered in freshly cut up fruits, berries and melons, along with a giant stack of pancakes and a bowl full of bacon.

Saerah put a hand to her chin as she walked in, "I don't know how much Geoffrey eats, but he looks like he eats enough."

Yorik laughed heartily, sitting in his usual place and serving himself immediately, "If he doesn't eat it all, I sure will! And Adrianna's bound to be hungry when she gets here."

The comment made Nephenee's ears perk up, "Adrianna? She's coming today?"

Her father looked up from his plate, "Yeah. Didn't she tell you? Aarron'll be here in a few days too. Said he's got stuff to finish up in Zarzi before he comes home."

The news made a smile spread across Nephenee's face, eyes lighting up brighter than the morning sun shining through the window, "Really?"

Callia crawled over beside her sister on the bench, "Yup! Age is coming today! She said she's going to be here by noon!"

Noon? It was already 10:30! Nephenee hadn't seen either her sister or Aarron in the longest time! She had no idea they were able to make it home for the Holidays!

Saerah walked in again with a bottle of syrup for the pancakes someone had apparently forgotten to get, setting it down in the center of the table with the rest of the food, "I'll have all my babies together again! I miss you all dearly."

"I can imagine." Nephenee agreed. She missed all her siblings too, and her parents, and also everyone else in Ohma. "Can I serve myself yet? I'm starved!"

Saerah looked a little worried, "I'd love to say yes, hun, but what about Geoffrey? Would he be okay with us servin' without him? I know he's from the palace and all..."

"It's fine." Geoffrey walked in, smiling brightly. He was still wearing his flannel pajama pants, but this time he also had a grey hoodie with a white t-shirt underneath. He looked so... normal. Other than the gorgeous factor, that is. He slipped onto the bench beside Nephenee, making sure to smile at her when their shoulders touched. "I really don't mind, Mrs. O'Ma- I mean Saerah. The etiquette at the palace annoys me. Do whatever you please, I'll just follow along."

Saerah lit up, "Okay! Dig in, then, everyone!"

Nephenee eyed the pancakes, wanting so badly to shovel several onto her plate, but she couldn't. Not with Geoffrey beside her. To him, girls were probably all worried about calories and eating minuscule amounts to make sure they stayed stick-thin. She couldn't make herself look like a pig to someone used to _that_.

Neither of her parents seemed to care, nor her sister was was also happily munching away and pretending to offer Rajaion some. They were already pouring syrup over their pancake, fruit and bacon creations, while Callia was telling Rajaion that four cows for breakfast is _not_ a substantial meal and he needed his greens as well.

"Dearie, why aren't you eatin' anythin'? You were just saying how hungry you were, and now you're not touching anything?" Yorik said after swallowing a mouthful of pancake. Nephenee was glad that at least he had the decency to swallow for once. Usually he didn't care.

"I..." Nephenee began, looking down embarrassed, "I was... Thinking about what I was going to eat." She blushed more when her father burst out laughing, then nudged Geoffrey to give her a hand.

Geoffrey didn't hesitate. He _wanted_ Nephenee to eat, so that he didn't have to worry about her fainting later like Elincia sometimes did. He grabbed the plate of pancakes and placed two of the biggest on Nephenee's plate, then loaded it with fruits and three strips of bacon. "There you go," He chuckled as he drizzled syrup over it all.

Nephenee gawked. Sure, she would have no problem clearing it all off, but did Geoffrey know as well? Was it a test to see if she ate like a pig or not?

Geoffrey didn't even touch the food on his plate as he watched Nephenee slowly cut off a piece of pancake and skewer a strawberry to go with it. She almost dipped the two in maple syrup as well, but decided against it in the end. It took another half-minute before she had the next bite down her throat. That was when Geoffrey gave up and rolled his eyes, focusing on his own meal again.

Saerah sighed, "Neph, why do you insist on being like this? Eat like you mean it, like you usually do."

Nephenee's blush grew, "Ma..."

Geoffrey simply laughed, finally realizing what was wrong, "Don't get paranoid because I'm here! I _really_ don't care."

The farm girl narrowed her eyes at him, sceptical, but finally looked away, relieved. She began to eat more normally, hoping that Geoffrey truly didn't care. Honestly, dating a noble seemed more trouble than it was worth at times, but she sincerely hoped it would all be worth it in the end. So far, things were looking up.

Geoffrey managed to finish before Yorik, which was a miracle, and excused himself to go to the bathroom. Yorik was still baffled as to how the noble had finished before a 'professional' eater like himself. Other than the muscle, Geoffrey wasn't all that big.

Nephenee used Geoffrey's absence as her chance to shovel food down her throat, filling up rather quickly. She was mid-bite when the doorbell rang, surprising everyone.

"I've got it!" Geoffrey shouted, exiting the bathroom. Everybody listened intently as he opened the door.

"Oh my gosh..." Was all they heard. It was a girl's voice... And not just any girl...

Nephenee and Callia both jumped from their seats, running for the door. "AGE!"

Adrianna still looked utterly stunned as her sisters ran down the hall, finally coming to when she was enveloped in their arms, "Hey, guys!"

Nephenee hugged her older sister so tightly she didn't ever want to let go. "We missed you, Age..."

Adrianna laughed, "I missed y'all too!" She patted her younger sister's shoulder, "Daein needs a sunny smile like yours, Callia... It's so dark and cloudy all the time..." She laughed, "But I won't get into that now."

Both younger sisters finally let go. Nephenee admired her sister and her light auburn hair and piercing green eyes, much like Nephenee's own. The family and even many of the villagers had always told Nephenee and her parents how beautiful Adrianna was. It wasn't only her looks that caught people's attention, but also her confidence and cheerful personality. Nephenee envied her sister all her life, as she was the complete opposite.

Adrianna looked past her sisters at the guy who had been standing awkwardly to the side. Her eyebrows met as she tried to place who he was. He looked awfully familiar...

Nephenee, noticing that her sister was having some trouble, decided an introduction was in order, "Age, this is-"

Adrianna's eyes widened, "Oh my gosh... You're Geoffrey Delbray!"

Geoffrey's cheeks turned a light shade of pink, something that hardly ever happened, "Uh... Yeah."

Adrianna was speechless, simply staring at the nobleman in front of her. He looked _exactly_ like on TV and in the magazines, except for his hair, which was messier than usual, and he was in pajamas. After getting a good look, she turned to her sister, "So it's true."

Nephenee raised an eyebrow, "What's true?"

"That you two are dating."

"Uh..." The turquoise haired girl pursed her lips, "Yeah, it is." What came next she wasn't expecting, even though she definitely should have.

Adrianna leaped and threw her arms around her sister, "That's GREAT! I'm _sooooo_ happy for you, Neph!"

Nephenee looked over her sister's shoulder at Geoffrey, who was smiling with his hands in his pajama pants' pockets.

Callia squeezed in between her sisters saying she wanted a hug too.

After several tender moments, Adrianna pulled away and smiled at Geoffrey, "I'm happy for you too, of course!"

Geoffrey chuckled, "Thank you."

"Oi!" Yorik called from the dining room, "You kids should come back to eat before everythin' gets cold!"

Adrianna sighed before shouting back, "Coming, pa!" She looked at her sisters, and then down at her suitcases, "I'll just leave these here for now." She lead her sisters and Geoffrey back into the house, hurrying ahead to greet her parents.

Geoffrey's arm brushed up against Nephenee's as they made their way back to the dining room and he leaned down, "You know," He whispered, waiting for Nephenee to look at him to continue, "Other than your hair, you look a lot like your sister."

Nephenee couldn't stop her mouth from opening slightly in surprise. No one had ever told her that she and Adrianna looked alike. No one ever really saw Nephenee's face, so it's not like anyone could tell. Sure, Nephenee wished they did, because that would mean that she shared her sister's beauty, but no one had ever assured her that, yes, Nephenee was as gorgeous as her model-like sister.

Geoffrey then touched Nephenee's hand and grinned, "Of course, you're prettier."

Nephenee blushed and stopped walking, letting Geoffrey continue on to the dining room without her. "_You're prettier." _Nephenee looked down and smiled, trying to recollect herself before she went back in, sitting down as her mother and father hugged their oldest daughter tightly, repeating over and over how much they missed their 'baby'. She smiled at that, and leaned back against the arm Geoffrey had stretched across the bench.

It would be an interesting Christmas, that's for sure.

* * *

><p>FE Frog: Uh huh... Yeah, Neph's sister has joined the cast! I know that all of her siblings have different coloured hair than her... But let's just say that they get it from their mom and Nephenee gets it from her dad... Whose hair WAS turquoise before it turned grey or white XD<p>

Anyways, I hope you all liked the chapter! I can't really think of anything interesting to put in this author's note, so... Yeah... REVIEW!

And hopefully I can get the next chapter up soon ^_^


	3. Family and Eggs

FE Frog: Cheez, I'm so sorry I didn't post sooner! Because I'm leaving tomorrow for my cottage, and won't be back for two weeks... And then when I do get back, my cousin from Germany is staying with us for the rest of August- What was I talking about? Right. Okay, so because I'm busy for the next month, I REALLY wanted to get this chapter up as soon as possible. (For you PoC readers... Sorry! I was posting a lot in the past month and a half and my muse for that story has run off with the plot bunnies _again_. I have yet to find them. In other words, don't expect a new chapter for at LEAST a month)

So, you may be asking WHY it took me so long. Well, to be honest, I haven't done much all summer. So I've had plenty of time for writing. Unfortunately... I've been playing Pokemon a lot more than is probably healthy. (You: O.o Oh, which ones? Me: Well, if you must ask... I've been playing Sapphire. Why? Because I want to. Also a bit of Pokemon XD because that's the only one I have for an actual console. The others are on an Emulator. Because I'm too lazy and cheap to buy them. Also, I HAVE been playing Fire Emblem (Beat Blazing Sword and somehow surviving through Sword of Seals)

Wow. I ramble to much. *Sigh* Other than video games, I've also been... I don't know. I went shopping with a friend at some point. I went to a concert at another (Bluesfest. Got to be a VIP for Bedouin Sound Clash! Yes, that means meet them. Yes, that means sit on this platform up on the MAIN STAGE at Bluesfest and have servants- Erm, backstgae people bring baskets of junk food and pop to us. It was _pretty_ awesome. And, yes, I got their autographs.) And then yesterday I got my braces off! *dances around like a lunatic* I am SOOOOOOOOOO happy to finally be rid of them! *Dances some more*

But other than that... That's it. I'm not going to bother with the stuff that is too inane to mention. Just like everything else already mentioned. *Sighs again* I'm pathetic.

OH! And, um... If you _want_ I have a teaser for a fic I've been working on in my profile. (Yes, an excerpt) It's, erm... Weird. (*cough* not as weird as that depressing one-shot you posted *cough*) Yeah, um... Depends on your definition of 'weird'. I mean weird with pairings, weird with AU-ness (okay, so it's High school... And in a weird version of our world... But our world has a city named Tellius... Does that make sense...?) Actually, for me, it's not so weird. It's still humour. It's still romance-ish. But I'm starting to get self-conscious about it, that's all. So if you like it, tell me! If not... Well, it was just an idea (that I've been working on developing... And writing a bit for... Even if I'll end up changing everything I've written anyways...) So, if you're interested in seeing more of it, tell me! I want to know if people will read it, after all. If not, well... I wasn't planning on posting any time soon. I'm saving it for when one of my current fics is done.

OKAY! Sorry about that. I talk WAAAAY too much.

Thanks to the following reviewers for STILL putting up with me XD

**xLinkk  
>Lionwings<br>nublet765  
>spygirly<br>Meru-64  
><strong>

Okay, so as always...

ENJOY!

* * *

><p>"Oi!"<p>

Nephenee looked up from the bag she was unpacking. Her mother was at the door. Nephenee put down the shirt she was refolding and turned, "Yes, ma?"

Saerah smiled at her daughter, "Callia and Age are playin' a game downstairs, so I was wonderin' if you wanted to fetch the eggs from the coop. Ol' Jacob down the road is waitin' for his dozen, and we still got others 'round town who need their eggs."

Nephenee nodded, "Sure! You don't need to explain everything to me, ma." The O'Malleys were some of the few people in town who raised chickens, so the rest of the villagers all bought eggs from them. Not only were they fresher than the ones from grocery stores, but people in Ohma liked helping each other out.

"Good girl." Saerah left the room, humming as she went back down the stairs.

Nephenee left her things and went down to pull on her boots and coat. Thankfully it wasn't ridiculously cold outside, but it was still chilly. It _was _winter, after all. She didn't notice the blue haired noble creeping up behind her with a silly grin, reaching out and poking her on either side.

"AIYEEE!" Nephenee screamed, bolting upright and swinging around to see who the person was.

Geoffrey burst out into laughter, clutching his stomach as he tried not to fall over. Nephenee put her hands on her hips.

"What was that for?" She demanded as Geoffrey put a hand against the wall to keep himself upright, "And don't tell me you're trying to be 'romantic' again."

When the noble's laughing subsided enough for him to speak, he put a hand on Nephenee's shoulder, "You're just so easy to scare."

Nephenee's frown disappeared, only to be replaced by a blush, "I-I a-am?"

Geoffrey sighed, shaking his head before looking back up and ruffling her hair, "Yes, you are. Relax." He looked down at her boots, then at her coat, "Going somewhere?"

Nephenee turned to grab her gloves from the basket on the chest, "No really."

"Mind if I come with you?"

The farm girl put on her earmuffs and took the other basket for eggs, "If you want. I'm just getting some eggs from the coop."

Geoffrey smiled, "Sure! I'd love to come, then!" He quickly put on his winter loafers, the outside made of the finest, thickest leather, and the inside lined with soft wool. Nephenee waited as the nobleman wrapped a thick cashmere scarf around his neck, then pulled on his designer pea-coat.

"Done?" She asked, feeling a little inadequate thanks to her regular ski jacket made of thermal nylon and polyester stuffing. Sure, it was a pretty light blue colour, but it was nowhere near as stylish as Geoffrey's winter ensemble. Not even close. "Uh..." She raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you want to be collecting eggs like that?"

Geoffrey pulled on his rough leather gloves, "Sure. Something wrong? It's not like we'll be throwing them at each other."

Nephenee shook her head, "Whatever. Let's go." She lead him out the door to the small building attached to the barn. The sound of possibly two dozen chickens could be heard inside, along with the call of a couple roosters. Nephenee stood with her legs on either side of the ramp as she leaned down to open the sliding door. Before she touched the door, she looked back, "If any run out, be prepared to grab it."

Geoffrey blinked back in surprise. The chickens ran out? Weren't they trained to stay? Or possibly kept in cages? Did the O'Malleys raise _feral_ chickens? He had no time to answer his own questions as Nephenee pulled the door up. Immediately, two chickens made a run for it. Luckily, Nephenee managed to catch the first one, but the second barrelled through her legs, heading for the nobleman.

"Get it!" Nephenee yelled, now inside the coop and peaking out, "Quick!"

Geoffrey grabbed for the chicken, but it darted around his hands and through his legs. "What the..." He turned to see the chicken sprinting for the field before he ran after it.

Nephenee couldn't help laughing as she watched him running through the knee deep snow after the chicken who was light enough to run on top.

Geoffrey, on the other hand, couldn't feel his feet. The snow had long invaded his shoes, soaking his soft socks. _Stupid chicken_, he thought as he finally broke free of the deep snow. Now was his time. He sprinted forward, leaning down to pick up the chicken as he ran... But it dodged him. Swearing under his breath, he continued to run after the hen, diving when he got close enough. Who cared about the coat? He could always get another...

"Bwak bwak bwak."

Geoffrey opened one eye to see the chicken staring at him, cocking it's head to the side. The bird wasn't in his arms, but it was close enough to reach out and grab. "Come here, feather brain." He said, lunging for the chicken. He swore again when it simply took a step back. Geoffrey inched himself forward, and the chicken took a step back.

"Bwak bwak."

The noble narrowed his eyes at the chicken, waiting for it to run off again, but it didn't. It just stood there, staring at him with it's innocent little chicken eyes.

"Geoffrey!" Nephenee called, making her way through the snow.

Geoffrey didn't reply, in case the chicken would be startled and run off again. He put his hands flat on the ground lifting himself slowly onto his cold knees. The chicken continued to watch, cocking it's head to the other side.

"Geoffrey," Nephenee wasn't far anymore. In fact, she was probably only twenty feet away, "Grab it's legs."

He put up one finger, "I've got this. I'm not letting a chicken get the better of me."

Nephenee stepped forward, "I mean it. Grab her legs. Lucy's a tough one."

Suddenly, Geoffrey turned around, bewildered, "You name your chickens?" He raised an eyebrow when Nephenee pointed forward, shouting.

"There she goes!" The farm girl yelled, starting a sprint of her own.

Geoffrey scrambled to his feet and followed close behind. The chicken just kept running.

Finally, Nephenee neared the bird and dove down, wrapping her arms around it's feathery body. As soon as she could, she grabbed it's legs, then quickly turned the chicken upside down. It was out instantly.

Geoffrey came to a halt beside her, leaning over and panting, "That's one fast chicken."

Nephenee was careful not to make any sudden movements, lest she hurt the chicken who was now hanging upside down, "Yeah. Lucy's known for that. She's quite the trouble maker. We'd put her on the chopping block, but she's one of our best layers. The other chickens seem to like her, too."

That just sounded plain weird. Geoffrey straightened back up, brushing the snow from his jacket. "Can chickens like one another?"

The questions struck Nephenee as strange. "What do you mean? Of course they can. They're living creatures like you and me." She sighed and began the walk back, not even waiting for Geoffrey to follow.

The noble hurried after his girlfriend, looked down at the chicken, then looked back up at Nephenee, "What did you do to it, anyways?"

"Well," She started, holding out the chicken, "I put it to sleep."

"Oh." He looked at the chicken again. It was definitely asleep, or at least unconscious. _Serves you right_.

It didn't take long for them to get back up to the coop, Geoffrey shivering from the snow in his shoes and Nephenee trying not to laugh.

"I warned you." She said, a hint of amusement in her voice. Geoffrey shot her a look before letting her crawl through the opening and following. The farm girl placed Lucy gently in her nest and turned on the light.

The first thing Geoffrey noticed as he stood up in the room was the _smell_. Chickens did not smell very good, especially when there were twenty of them. He also felt a little claustrophobic with very little room to move as is, let alone with Nephenee standing next to him, grabbing a basket off the hook.

"So..." He began, precariously looking around, "What do we do now?"

Nephenee chuckled, "Well. You stick your hand in the nest," She put her hand under the chicken, "And you grab the eggs." She pulled out a light coloured egg Geoffrey could have sworn was blue. Nephenee placed the eggs in her basket, on the tray, and grabbed another egg. "There's another basket on the shelf."

Geoffrey nodded, turning to see said basket sitting on the edge of the shelf, a chicken seated in it. He groaned, "You're kidding."

"What?" Nephenee asked, now emptying the straw from the nest she had been collecting from and placing fresh straw. When she saw it, she couldn't help smiling, "Oh. You can just move her. Or even push her out."

He was definitely not going to pick the bird up, so he pushed her like Nephenee said. Thank the Goddess he was wearing gloves, otherwise it may have hurt when the chicken pecked at him. When he got his basket, he turned to the nearest nest and took a deep breath before diving his hand down under the chicken. He had to take off his gloves this time, to feel the eggs better, but that wasn't all he felt. He made sure to grab one of the eggs before pulling his hand out to inspect what it was on his hand. What he found made him almost drop the egg he was holding. "Ugh!"

Nephenee sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before turning to see Geoffrey staring at the chicken _waste_ on his hand, "Relax. You'll get it off later when we wash the eggs. Just make sure to change the straw if there's poo."

Geoffrey blinked at her, then wiped his hand on the straw of the nest, "This is disgusting. How do you do this every day?"

"We usually do it twice a day, actually." She grinned, "And you wanted to help. So don't complain."

She had a point. Geoffrey stayed quiet, trying to not even say anything in his head as he got the rest of the eggs and replaced the nesting like she had said. Something still bothered him, though. "I thought chicken eggs were brown or white. These ones are sort of blueish-green. Are they rotten?"

"Nope." Nephenee said, already filling the second tray of her basket, "These are different chickens. Different species of chickens lay different coloured eggs."

"Oh." He said, feeling a little stupid. Well, it wasn't like they taught him about chickens in school. Most nobles weren't expected to ever even _see_ a chicken other than the ones the chefs prepared for dinner on a regular basis. Actually collecting the eggs themselves was like something of a taboo. It just wasn't _done._

The two continued their collecting in silence, Geoffrey only having two trays filled while Nephenee had five and was even onto her second basket. It was also then that Nephenee caught up to the noble, collecting eggs from the shelf two below the one he was currently working on. That meant she was crouched down in front of him, her back against his legs.

"Um..." He began, but didn't know what else to say. Maybe he would just ignore her. She seemed perfectly able to ignore him. So he went back to collecting eggs, trying his hardest not to think about it. It worked pretty well, actually, up until she stood up to collect from the nests on the shelf directly below his.

The truth was, Nephenee _had_ noticed. If Geoffrey could see her face, he would see her burning cheeks. Her back was now pressed against his chest as she gingerly placed the soft blue-green eggs into her basket. She kept her head turned downwards as she continued, until she felt him push her hair gently to one side. Before she could say anything else, she felt his lips softly touch the tender skin along her jaw, right under her ear.

Her face flushed as his arms wound around her waist, and before she knew what she was doing, she turned to meet his lips with her own. Nephenee's own movements surprised her. She felt Geoffrey grin, but he didn't go any farther than the soft touch and slightly moving his lips against hers.

Geoffrey was happy that Nephenee, albeit blushing furiously, didn't pull away. Usually she did, the only two or three other times they had kissed. He knew what he had done was risky, especially with someone as sensitive and shy as Nephenee.

Maybe he had spoken too soon when she suddenly pulled away after the sound of a soft _crack_.

Nephenee lifted her hand to her head where she felt the thick liquid oozing down her head, "Oh no."

Geoffrey opened his eyes, grinning again when he saw the yolk running down Nephenee's turquoise hair, the egg shells still caught between the strands.

Nephenee looked up to see Lucy staring down at her, "Stupid chicken..."

The nobleman took a clean strand of her hair and twirled it around his finger, grinning even wider, "Pesky creatures, aren't they?"

She shot him a look, "Shut up, you." Then she smiled again, a sickeningly sweet smile that would make anybody suspicious.

And suspicious Geoffry was, until the farm girl reached up and cracked and egg over his head as well, laughing as she watched him close his eyes, sigh, and wipe the yolk from his eyes.

"It suits you!" Nephenee laughed, ducking squirming away from where he had her pressed up against the shelves.

"You'll pay for that, I hope you know." He replied, shaking a finger at her.

She beamed back, then burst out into another fit of giggles. Geoffrey rolled his eyes and gathered a few more eggs before leaving the coop, Nephenee following behind, still chuckling lightly.

The two went back inside, shaking off the snow by the door and taking off their coats before continuing to the kitchen with the baskets.

Saerah was preparing soup as they entered, "Ah, good job you two..." She said, stirring the soup. When she looked up her eyes widened, "What on Earth have the two of you done?"

Nephenee pointed to her own head, "Lucy dropped it on me." She pointed at Geoffrey, "And then she dropped one on him too."

Geoffrey glanced over at her, but Nephenee kept a straight face. How could someone so innocent lie so well? _She would make a good diplomat..._ The thought made him smile.

Saerah nodded, but she wasn't convinced. Geoffrey reconsidered, _Okay, maybe not such a great diplomat after all..._ It's not like he could imagine her as a diplomat, anyways. "Sure. Why don't the two of you get washed up, hm? Then you can come down all cozy and have some soup."

"Okay." Nephenee said, hurrying upstairs. "I call the shower first!" She shouted down.

Geoffrey shook his head as he climbed the stairs behind her. What happened to the shy girl he met in Sienne? Or maybe... What happened to this vibrant girl when she _went_ to Sienne?

Twenty minutes after they had taken their showers and dressed in flannel bottoms and sweaters, they had headed downstairs for the warm soup Mrs. O'Malley prepared.

Callia and Adrianna were already at the table, laughing about something or other, when they arrived.

"Ah, good, you're here!" Saerah leaped up from her seat, pouring soup into two bowls before either Nephenee or Geoffrey could protest. "Just sit." She snapped, not even letting them pick the bowls up to bring to their places.

Nephenee was first to climb onto the bench, beside her sister, followed by Geoffrey. He purposefully sat closer than that morning, but Nephenee didn't even seem to notice. That was good... Right?

Adrianna looked over at the couple, "I heard screaming earlier. Was that you two?"

Nephenee pursed her lips, "Um... Yeah..." She turned to Geoffrey and smiled, "But mostly him."

"Hey!" Geoffrey cried out, "Not just me! You were screaming too!"

The turquoise haired girl averted her eyes playfully, "Maybe..."

Adrianna chuckled, "Well, at least you two had fun, right? Other than the whole egg-on-the-head thing."

Nephenee shot a look at her mother, "Really, ma? You had to tell her?"

Saerah shrugged, "I thought it was cute."

Nephenee blushed and looked down at her soup, twirling her spoon through the broth.

Seeing this, Geoffrey rolled his eyes, "Don't tell me I have to feed your soup to you as well." Nephenee's eyes widened and she quickly took a bite. Geoffrey grinned.

"So," Saerah said, putting her spoon down, "What have y'all got planned for today?"

Everyone looked up in silence. Everyone except for Callia, who was murmuring again to Rajaion.

Saerah raised an eyebrow, "You weren't planning on staying home all day, I hope." She looked to her younger daughter, "Neph, why don't you take Geoff out and show him the town!"

Geoffrey turned to the girl beside him, eyes bright, "I like that idea!"

Nephenee restrained herself from giving a sarcastic smirk back, grumbling and going back to her soup.

"Neph!" Adrianna nudged her sister, "I'll come along, too! And Callia!"

Callia looked up, "What are we doing? Can Rajaion come?"

Nephenee took a deep breath before turning to her mother, "I guess I could do that." She had been looking forward to showing Geoffrey the village, but all of a sudden letting him into her memories wasn't as appealing. They were private...

She was drawn from her thoughts by another nudge, this time from Geoffrey. She blushed when she saw everyone's eyes on her.

Geoffrey nudged her again, moving his head closer and whispering, "Is something wrong?"

Nephenee shook her head, making sure to look at Geoffrey, right into his eyes, to tell him she wasn't lying. Or was that a bad idea? Maybe her eyes gave it away... _Darn it_. Quickly, she looked back down at her soup. Sure, she didn't really want to let him into her private world... But she lo- _liked_ him. She kind of had to, right? "I'm fine." She finally said, keeping her head down.

What a lie. Geoffrey knew it. What had he said? Was it even him? _I thought we were over all of this..._ He sighed and decided to focus on his food, lest someone try force-feeding _him_.

-oOo-

Nephenee picked through her clothes, both some of the things she brought back from Sienne, and some of the things she had left at home. It was quite clear which was which. Her clothes from home were nowhere near as stylish. But they were more comfortable. _Either I walk around as the old Nephenee... Or I walk around as the new one..._ In the end, she chose a pair of jeans from her home stash, and a cozy angora sweater from the new pile.

Surprisingly, they fit quite well together.

After brushing out her hair once more and staring at (not putting _on_) the eyeliner Calill bought for a moment, she left the room. She descended the stairs two at a time, jumping off from the fourth last step and stumbling as she landed, only to be steadied again by two strong arms.

"Careful there." Geoffrey said, smiling. Nephenee looked up, slightly surprised. And then she blushed as her heart began to flutter. The smile he wore was almost identical to the one she had first fallen in love with on the plane.

It's not like she hadn't seen that smile since, because she saw it quite a lot, and it made her feel the same way each time. There was nothing fake about it at all.

"Are you guys ready to go yet?"

Both Nephenee and Geoffrey's heads turned in the direction of the door, where Adrianna was poking her own head through. She then smiled, "Aw, you two are just so darn cute! Callia and I will be waiting outside, okay?"

Nephenee looked back at Geoffrey when the door closed, "I have to... uh... get my stuff..."

Geoffrey raised an eyebrow, but let go of her arms anyways. Why was she so shy all of a sudden? He then closed his eyes and sighed. He kept telling himself that things would get better, she would open up... But it wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.

Adrianna and Callia were making snow angels in the snow when the door opened, Geoffrey and Nephenee stepping through the door. Geoffrey was wearing an expensive looking lime green ski jacket because his pea-coat was in dire need of washing. Nephenee, on the other hand, was wearing one of Adrianna's hand-me-down jacket made of woollen felt. It stopped halfway down her thighs and even had a belt to go around the waist.

Adrianna couldn't help but frown when she saw both of Nephenee's hand tight around the strap of her over-the-shoulder purse instead of holding Geoffrey's hands.

"Ready?" Nephenee asked, linking arms with her sister and smiling.

"Yup. Of course!" The older beamed back, then beckoned for Callia, how linked up on the other side of her oldest sister.

Geoffrey was perfectly content walking behind the three sisters. He knew they hadn't seen each other in quite some time and didn't want to ruin the moment. He wished he had a brother to run home to, even if they would tackle each other instead of walking side by side with their arms hooked up. He simply watched the three fall into step, smiling. That is until Adrianna looked back and motioned with her head for Geoffrey to join on Nephenee's side. He did, albeit hesitantly. Nephenee wasn't nearly as hesitant to link her arm with his, smiling up at him.

So maybe he could be a part of it, after all. He lowered his hand to hers, intertwining his fingers between hers. She looked up at him, surprised. Not shy, just surprised. And then she smiled again, leaning her head against his shoulder before something Adrianna was saying caught her attention.

Geoffrey simply sighed after that, shaking his head ever so slightly. Yes, Nephenee was weird. Naive, but playful at the same time. He kind of liked that, though. No, scratch that. He _did_ like it. It made her unique, different... Nephenee.

* * *

><p>FE Frog: Daw. Cute scenes are cute.<p>

So... Yeah... That's it for another chapter! Hopefully soon I can pick up the pace more. Unless you like the random fluff. Because I can keep with the random fluff until I NEED to pick up the pace (In other words... Soon... I think... _)

Well, hope you liked it! You all know I love reviews, and reviews make me happy, and reviews... You get the point. How about a review for another chapter, eh?

Anyways, I should be packing and cleaning the house like a good little (?) girl instead of writing this. But I wanted to write it. So there.

See you in a month! (Maybe sooner, but probably not...)


	4. Deck The Halls

FE Frog: This took longer than I hoped it would. I was really busy before the Christmas break, and then got lazy during the break. And the next chapter will also take a while because exams are coming up D: And I have so many CPTs before then... Ah, I hate school.

But at least I finished, right? That's good, RIGHT?

Anyways, I won't make this too long. Here's a list of reviewers I would like to thank: (There are so many! It makes me happy)

**Sage42**  
><strong>Bubbles745<strong>  
><strong>XxSecretStoriesxX<strong>  
><strong>nublet765<strong>  
><strong>spygirly<strong>  
><strong>Dathedr<strong>  
><strong>Lionwings<strong>  
><strong>ExpodesWiresExposedVeins<strong>  
><strong>Meru-64<strong>

I love you guys 3

**WARNING:** I almost choked to death on all the fluff while writing this.

* * *

><p>"There's another boutique, and another... And here's the village square!" Nephenee stopped, spreading out her arms to show off the square. "Actually, it's sort of the village 'circle' but everyone calls it the square."<p>

Geoffrey smiled at that. Around the 'square' were houses, the stuck together kind found in Old Melior. The ones that dated back at the very least 200 years, with their stone walls that were beginning to crumble. And in the center of the square/circle was a large fountain that was filled with snow rather than running water, but still fairly empty. The square was also quite empty. Like most cities (or towns in this case,) Ohma seemed to be more popular in the summer.

"It's cute," Geoffrey said, putting his cold hands in his pockets. It was colder here, which he hadn't expected, and had only brought his Gallian leather gloves. And they weren't the kind with wool on the inside, either. Or very thick leather, for that matter. Gallia never got this cold.

Nephenee turned her head to him and giggled, "Cute you say?"

Apparently Adrianna found this funny as well. Since both her sisters were laughing, Callia started in as well.

Geoffrey raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Nephenee sighed and patted his back, "Nothing." She motioned for him to follow as she went to the side walk on the outer rim of the circle, in front of all the buildings and shops. "Surprisingly, we actually get some tourism here. It's an older town, and it has its charms, I guess." A pull on her arm grabbed her attention. Nephenee looked down at Callia, who was pointing across the square.

"Nephi! Can we go there?" The store Callia was pointing at happened to be the local toy store. Not all that surprising that the girl wanted to see it.

"How 'bout afterwards?" Nephenee said, giving her little sister's hand a squeeze. "I want to show Geoffrey around first. Then we can check out the stores, okay?"

Adrianna nodded to this, "Yeah. Can you wait, Callia?"

The little girl looked down, "I guess..."

Geoffrey looked around. There wasn't really much else to see, other than having Nephenee point out what a building used to be hundreds of years ago. "Why don't we go now?"

All three sisters looked at Geoffrey and blinked. Nephenee was first to speak, "Are you sure? Once we're in there, we're never coming out."

Geoffrey shrugged, "I don't mind. Toys are cool."

Adrianna's mouth dropped open. Nephenee just stared in shock as Geoffrey crouched down and smiled at Callia, "Come on. I don't think your sisters want to go, but I'll take you."

Callia lit up and took the hand the nobleman offered her, "Okay, Geoff! Let's go!"

Adrianna and Nephenee couldn't moved, paralyzed by shock.

"I didn't think it was possible..." Adrianna said, putting a hand to her chest.

Nephenee turned to her sister and raised an eyebrow, "Didn't think what was possible?"

"You're boyfriend can make even _you _look like a bitch." She laughed, grabbing Nephenee's hand, "Come on, before Callia steals him away from you!"

Geoffrey followed Callia through the store, listening as the girl told him all about the new toys that had come in. Which ones her friends had, which ones she had and which ones she really, _really_ wanted. She even told him what toys she put on her Christmas wish list to St. Nicholas—which was practically every single toy in the store, and more.

"Oh! And this is the one I put on the top of my list!" Callia said, jumping into the lap of a giant black and red plush dragon. It looked rather grotesque, but Callia didn't seem to mind. She then cuddled into the dragon's polyester fur. "It looks like Rajaion..." She closed her eyes and looked almost as though she had fallen asleep.

Geoffrey couldn't help the smile spreading across his lips as he tip toed behind the dragon and moved the dragon's arms around the girl, then the wings.

Callia opened her eyes and smiled up at the dragon, "I love you too, Rajaion." She giggled when Geoffrey poked his head out over the dragon's shoulder, "And you, too, Geoffy!"

His smile grew until it hurt his cheeks to smile so widely. It's not like he ever had a little sister, or anyone that was like a little sister to him. He was the little one. When he was younger, he always wanted to spend time with Lucia, the only child other than the Princess in the palace he knew and felt comfortable around. But Lucia was two years older. She got annoyed by his presence quite often and would snap at him, telling him to go away.

He also liked kids. He always did. When he was eleven, and one of the new aristocrats moved to the palace with his four year old son, he would play with him. But it wasn't the same...

"Nephy!" Callia shouted, jumping up from Rajaion's lap and running to her sister, "You _have_ to marry Geoffrey!"

Both Geoffrey and Nephenee's jaws dropped. Nephenee's cheeks were first to go red and she started sputtering gibberish, possibly something about age and not sure and... Well, no one really knew.

_What is it with these country folk?_ Geoffrey thought, feeling heat rise to his own face as well. _All forcing marriage down your throat. Then again, it's not like nobles are much different._

Adrianna swallowed, picking up on the other two's discomfort, "Uh... We should get going, right? Callia, have you seen enough?"

The girl, suddenly forgetting about what she asked a moment ago, lowered her head, "I guess..." She looked at Geoffrey, hurried over, grabbed his hand and dragged him back to join the girls. "Okay, we can go now," She beamed up at them.

Adrianna chuckled, nudging Nephenee ever so slightly, "Alrighty then. Where to?"

Callia gasped, "I have an idea!" She looked up at Geoffrey, tugging his arm, "Have you ever had Beaver Tails?"

Geoffrey blinked, "B-Beaver tails? Is that legal?"

The little one didn't seem to understand, but Nephenee clarified, "No, not tails of beavers. Beaver Tails."

"There's a difference?"

"Yeah," Nephenee said, holding in a laugh, "Beaver Tails aren't the tails of beavers. They're like pastry things... Shaped like the tails of beavers."

"Oh." Geoffrey sighed in relief, "_Pastry_ beaver tails. That makes a _lot_ more sense." He looked down at Callia, "No, I have never had Beaver Tails before. Is that a specialty here?"

Callia nodded excitedly, "Yeah! You should try them! Let's go!"

Adrianna grabbed her little sister's other arm to keep her from running off with Geoffrey, "Settle down, girl!"

The four went for their Beaver Tails, which Geoffrey refused to let anyone else pay for. They sat on the edge of the fountain, where Geoffrey declared that Beaver Tails were among the best things he had ever eaten. Even if they were deep fried.

After they finished their treats, the girls continued to show Geoffrey around the more tourist-friendly parts of Ohma.

A few hours later, Callia started to whine, as all eight-year-olds do when they've been out too long, and the group decided to head home. It had been a nice day, but cold and Nephenee's feet were starting to hurt.

It didn't come as much of a surprise that Saerah had hot chocolate all ready right as the group walked into the house.

"How do you like Ohma?" Saerah asked as Geoffrey sat down at the table. She brought a tray over, set it down, and started putting the mugs down at each place.

"Wonderful," He smiled as he pulled his mug closer and gave it a sniff. There was something different about it compared to other hot chocolate. "Is there..." He sniffed again, "Is there cinnamon in this?"

Saerah's eyes went wide, "Yes. Are you allergic?"

"Oh, no. I was just wondering," Geoffrey chuckled and gave it another sniff, "I've never had hot chocolate with cinnamon in it." He blew on the steaming liquid delicately before lifting it to his lips and taking a small sip. All eyes were on him as he pulled his head back and frowned.

"You don't like it?" Saerah asked, a hint of sadness in her voice, "I can make you another cup without—"

Geoffrey looked up and smiled at her, "Oh, it's not that. Just hot, that's all. I couldn't even taste it, it was so hot." He put the cup down and everyone let out their pent-up breaths. "Is this another Ohma specialty?" He asked, motioning to the cup.

Nephenee, who had yet to take a sip of the scalding drink, shook her head, "Nope. Just an O'Malley thing. My dad actually thought of it. He had put a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg in a jar for eggnog, and used it in the hot chocolate one day. It's the only way we drink it now."

"I'll have to tell the chefs at the palace about it." He picked up his mug. The hot ceramic made his cold fingers tingle. "I'll have them credit you, of course."

When the hot chocolate had cooled enough to drink, all waited with baited breath to see whether Geoffrey liked it or not. He did. In fact, he liked it _very_ much.

After the beverages, Callia asked Geoffrey to help her build a gingerbread house, something the nobleman had never done without the help of professional confectioners. While the gingerbread he had used in the past was baked specially by the palace chefs, it was completely different with Saerah's homemade gingerbread. The palace treats lacked one of the most important things: love.

Once the gingerbread house was complete, Callia and Geoffrey were called to the living room by a rosy-cheeked Yorick. He still had his jacket on, his boots dragging in the snow from outside.

"Geoff, could you give an old man some help?" He asked, struggling to hold the tall evergreen while dragging a cone-shaped tree stand with his foot.

"Of course," Geoffrey went for the tree, the harder of the two. He kept a firm grip on the tree's trunk while Yorik bent down to grab the base. Together, they got the tree securely into the stand.

Yorik stepped back, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, "Thanks, Geoff. Trees can be tricky little buggers sometimes." He grinned, "But now we can decorate it."

Just as Yorik was leaving to put away his jacket and boots, Nephenee and Adrianna came in with a large green box. When they set it down and pulled off the lid, Nephenee groaned.

"Of course it's a mess..." She mumbled, leaning down and pulling out a pile of tangled up lights. She grimaced and looked back to Callia, "Sorry, it's still going to be a while until we're decorating."

Adrianna rolled her eyes, "Only because you're here, Neph. Relax." She dug out a cardboard box. "Let's just get the ornaments out."

Geoffrey put a hand on Nephenee's back and took the coil of lights out of her hand, "I can do this."

Nephenee looked back and smiled, "Alright."

Geoffrey's hands were, apparently, magical. He had the string of lights untangled within a few minutes. Nephenee and Adrianna had yet to finish unpacking the ornaments, so Geoffrey decided to get Callia to help him string the lights around the tree.

It seemed as though the magic was temporary, though.

Callia was laughing as Geoffrey tried desperately to wrap the lights around the tree. "You're doing it all wrong, Geoff!"

Geoffrey had a tongue out in concentration as he tried to mend his mistake, gently pulling the string out further from the trunk of the tree. "I'm trying, Callia. Just you wait."

Adrianna had paused in her unpacking to watch, a great smile on her lips. "Have you ever done this before?"

"I'm afraid not." Geoffrey hoped he had done a good enough job, and began to wind the string around again. The trees had always been decorated by professionals. The palace's Christmas tree was beautiful, some of the ornaments made out of real gold and silver, with rubies, sapphires and diamonds embedded into them. It glistened in the light of the throne room, and the sunlight that shone through the windows.

But it wasn't the same. It wasn't even _real_. And Geoffrey had only ever been allowed to put one or two ornaments on, if he wasn't too busy with something else. Usually, his ornament would go on one of the lower branches. The tree was tall, and only once had he ever been allowed to climb the ladder to place the star at the top. That had been because he asked Renning especially.

But this was a whole other ordeal. He occasionally glimpsed the decorators wrapping the tree in lights, but didn't know their tricks.

Not to mention, real trees were prickly. Very prickly. His hands tingled and one of his thumbs already hurt from accidentally pressing down on the tip of a needle too hard.

Nephenee put the last box of ornaments on the table—wooden reindeer with red velvet collars and tiny little bells—and sighed. She crossed her arms and watched Geoffrey for a moment before approaching. "Stop for a moment."

"No, I've got it." Geoffrey said, shuffling around the tree with the lights in hand.

"Geoffrey, I mean it. Stop." She bent over and grabbed for his knee, but he shuffled out of the way, laughing.

Geoffrey looked over at her, grinning, "Neph, what are you doing?"

"You've got the lights-"

She was interrupted by the front door opening and someone calling "I'm _hoooooome_!" With that, all was forgotten, and all three sisters ran out of the room.

Curious, Geoffrey let the lights dangle from the trees and turned to go see who it was at the door. The voice certainly sounded male. Could it be Nephenee's brother? He barely got one foot forward before he fell.

"Aaron!" Callia screeched, running into her brother's arms, despite the bags he was carrying.

Nephenee was about to approach for a hug when she heard the yell, thump, and crash. The floor shook ever so slightly.

"What was that?" Aaron asked, putting both Callia and the bags he held down on the ground in front of him.

Nephenee ran back through the hall to the living room, gasping when she saw Geoffrey on the ground, the tree on top of him. She hurried forward, touching one of Geoffrey's hands, "Are you okay?"

He didn't cry out in pain, which was a good sign, nor did he whimper. But he was frowning. On the other hand, who wouldn't be frowning if they were stuck under a Christmas tree?

"I'm fine," He finally said, looking up. His lips turned upwards, "My feet were tangled up in the lights, apparently."

Nephenee couldn't help but smile back. There was no resisting those eyes, and that smile. She had to admit... Actually, she had no choice but to admit, the look he gave her was adorable. "I know," She giggled, putting a hand on his head, "That's what I was trying to tell you."

"I'll listen to you more often."

Nephenee giggled again, ruffling his hair as she stood up. She moved the tree to the side, gently enough not to hurt him, but far enough so he could turn onto his back and get the lights off of his feet before standing.

That would be when the others joined.

"Oh, what happened?" Adrianna asked after a gasp of her own.

"Geoff, are you okay?" Callia shrieked, running and latching onto the nobleman's leg.

Aaron, unlike his sisters, was plain confused. He cocked his head to the side, looking the man up and down. He looked familiar... "Do I know you?"

Geoffrey looked over and smile before running a hand through his hair to dislodge any pine needles. "You must be Aaron, am I right?"

"Yes. Who are you?"

Nephenee shot her brother a look. The tone in his voice wasn't all too comforting. But she relaxed when Geoffrey's hand brushed her own. "Aaron," She said, stepping forward, "This is Geoffrey Delbray. My boyfriend."

Aaron made an 'o' with his mouth, but his eyes hardened. He looked Geoffrey up and down several times, almost as though scrutinizing him.

Geoffrey walked up and put out a hand, "Like she said, Geoffrey Delbray. A pleasure to meet you, Aaron."

Aaron's eyes twitched, almost narrowing before he thought better of it. He took Geoffrey's hand firmly, giving it a shake. "Delbray, huh?"

"My father is duke of Delbray and Fayre."

Any hint of a smile, real or not, vanished from Aaron's face. Nephenee couldn't help but swallow upon seeing her brother's reaction. He had never liked nobles. Ever. He tended to blame all the country's problems on them.

"I see," Aaron said, his voice much less friendly. He let go of Geoffrey's hand and turned back to his sisters, "I'm going to go bring my stuff up to my room... Don't start on the tree without me!"

Adrianna grabbed her brother's arm before he left. "Aaron, you're staying in my room. Geoffrey is staying in your room."

Nephenee looked over at Geoffrey as Aaron left to bring his bags up. Geoffrey seemed confused by the whole situation. She went over to him as Adrianna followed Aaron out, Callia tagging along behind them.

"He doesn't like me much, does he?" Geoffrey asked, voice low.

"Aaron has his own... views." Nephenee said, putting a hand on Geoffrey's arm, "But he's not the only one. Many people out here in the country do."

Geoffrey nodded slowly, and then turned to the tree. He put on a smile, but Nephenee saw through it. "How about we finish the lights? I'll be more careful this time. I promise."

* * *

><p>FE Frog: *Cough Cough* Sorry, just needed to get all that fluff out of my throat. Well, to me this chapter was uber fluffy. Up until the end, of course. But on the brights side... YAY! A PLOT! Well, something resembling it. But there will be more.<p>

Most of the 'plot' doesn't even take place in Ohma, though D: I just haven't gotten there, obviously. I suppose you could say there's two halves of the story. One more dramatic than the other.

And one with more Marcia and Calill than the other. You didn't think I could write this whole fic without them, did you? I miss writing them :( A lot. I'm sure you guys miss them too.

Well, I'm going to stop here, because I have a project I should probably start on XD

Review~~~ It's very much appreciated.

And if you're bored, I have a new one-shot out! No, it's not as depressing as Alone was. This one is humour. Pure humour. But then again, it's me, so you can expect something like that XD


	5. Bureaucraps

FE Frog: Well, I finally got to finishing this... I do apologize that it's so short. I was stuck after the... second scene? (There's, like, only three) And then I was walking home and BAM! Idea!

But I wanted to end it there, anyways.

And I apologize again, but don't expect another chapter for a while. The reason this took so long was that, after exams, rehearsals for the play really got busy. The play is in a week and a half. Sure, I'm just an ensemble person (Alice in Wonderland. I'm a card), but rehearsals are every day after school until 7 and until 9 closer to the performance dates. So you can see my predicament.

But after that I'll be back! (And won't know what to do with all my free time XD)

Okay, I'll let you read now. Tanks to the following reviewers last chapter!

**nublet765  
>Omegasaxon<br>FE Frog** **Fan**  
><strong>Sage42<strong>  
><strong>ExposedWiresExposedVeins<strong>  
><strong>Meru-64<strong>  
><strong>Lionwings<strong>

Now... ENJOY!

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><p>"Where's Geoffrey?" Nephenee asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she entered the kitchen.<p>

Not even Saerah was there. Just Aaron, at the stove making what looked like scrambled eggs. He looked over at his sister for a moment before focusing on the eggs again. "Adrianna took him to town. Mom, dad and Callia are out in the barn."

Nephenee only heard the first part. Her hand stopped midway through her hair. "He's with _Adrianna_?"

"Yeah." Aaron turned the stove off and removed the pan from the element. He motioned to his sister, "Want some?"

"Uh… Sure." Nephenee sat down at the table and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Aaron placed a plate in front of her before seating himself on the other side of the table. Nephenee shivered. "It's cold."

Aaron smirked, "Just a bit. A shame your teddy bear isn't here right now to keep you warm." Nephenee stuck her tongue out at him, and then proceeded in stuffing her mouth with egg.

"He's pretty clueless, isn't he?"

Nephenee looked up.

Aaron pointed his fork at her, "I mean with how we 'commoners,'" the famous Finger Quotes, "live. Age told me about the incident with Lucy. And, well, he just doesn't seem all that bright."

Wait, he just called Geoffrey stupid. Nephenee's eyebrows came together, "If you never grew up with these kinds of responsibilities, wouldn't you be pretty clueless too?"

"Yeah, but Neph, he single-handedly took down the Christmas tree. By getting caught in the _lights_. That's just plain stupidity."

Nephenee couldn't believe it. "Aaron," she said, an edge to her voice, "He has his moments. As we all do. But he grew up in a whole other WORLD for the Goddess' sake!"

Aaron sighed, prodding at the eggs, "Yeah, well…" He chuckled, "I still can't believe you're dating a _noble_."

Nephenee swallowed. It was the way Aaron said it. "Geoffrey is… He's different."

"Just you wait, Neph. They're _all_ the same."

It didn't make her feel particularly good. She was reminded of their past discussions on nobles and how they pranced around spending taxpayers' money willy-nilly. How if either of them ever met one, they would make it a point to tell them to be more responsible.

But not all nobles were like that, right? Geoffrey certainly wasn't. Sure, he had expensive clothes and other things, and… Nephenee bit her lip. Geoffrey _was_ like them. He spent the money on clothes, and fancy suitcases. He had soiled a coat worth several hundred dollars with egg, and then shrugged it off. _He could always buy a new one_. Yeah, but who would be paying for it? Daddy paid for the credit card bill, no doubt. And who filled Duke Fayre's coffers?

Geoffrey was, essentially, just like all the other nobles. The only difference was is mannerism. He was nicer. He cared.

It didn't mean that he refused to live his life in luxury.

Now Nephenee was confused. Geoffrey was different, but the same, all at once. The only reason Elincia or Lucia knew about her was because of Geoffrey. Geoffrey was willing to talk to a commoner, willing to fall for a commoner. He had to be different.

He spent his money on more trivial things. He had to be the same. That would make _her_ a hypocrite for going out with him.

"I'm not hungry anymore," Nephenee finally said, getting up and hurrying out of the kitchen.

-oOo-

"You seriously don't have to get anybody anything." Adrianna said, looking at some necklaces hanging on a tree made of wire. Most of them were made of woven cotton string.

Geoffrey looked around the store. It was interesting, to say the least. He wanted to get something for Nephenee, which he had been too busy to do beforehand. They had already checked out the jewellery store across the street. The kind with gold and silver chains, with the usual diamonds, rubies and sapphires carved in various shapes and sizes. He hadn't found anything there for her. Nothing that he would want to see on her, anyways. He saw enough of those in court, adorning the necks, ears and fingers of the noblewomen.

"How about this?" Adrianna pointed to a small vintage pocket watch that hung on a long, antique gold chain. She had pointed him towards this store, which had a more eclectic collection of jewellery, accessories and clothing.

It was refreshing, to say the least.

Geoffrey looked over his shoulder and smiled, "We'll see."

Adrianna sighed, "That's what you've said every time."

It was true. But Geoffrey wanted to find the perfect piece. He turned back to the rack of scarves he had been looking at. They were all so nice… "What do you think she would _wear_?"

"Well…" Adrianna touched one of the silk scarves, "I don't even know anymore." She smiled, "Nephenee seems to be a lot more conscious of what she wears than she used to."

"You can blame Calill for that."

Adrianna moved to look at the shelves of bags beside the scarves. "I would imagine she'd like anything you get her. But I can't think of anything specific."

Geoffrey straightened up and closed his eyes, letting out a sigh, "This is so much easier for girls who are happy with any big, expensive rock."

Raising an eyebrow, Adrianna turned to look at him. Then she laughed, "If only Nephenee were like that, eh?"

The nobleman opened his eyes again, eyebrows coming together, "No… Why would I want that? Those kinds of girls are boring. I said it would be easier, not more fun."

Adrianna laughed as she turned back to the wall, "Well, I'm sure she'll like anything you get her."

-oOo-

Nephenee chewed on her nails, trying her hardest not to bite them off completely as Aaron drove the car. She had no idea what he wanted. All he said was that he needed to show her something. His tone was what scared her. Whatever it was he had to show her was serious.

She wondered if maybe it had to do with a friend from high school, or a friend of her parents' somewhere in town. Did it possibly have something to do with Geoffrey? Adrianna? Perhaps it was all a diversion. Then again, Aaron wasn't the type to joke or make a diversion seem so serious.

Soon, Nephenee recognized the way they were going. It was to old Jacob's farm a kilometre out of town. It couldn't be anyone else.

Nephenee sat up and looked to her brother, "What's wrong with Jacob? Is he sick?"

Aaron was silent. That was also rather unusual. The whole car ride had been strange in that sense. Sure, Aaron was quiet around many strangers, but he was one of the most talkative in the house!

Nephenee's brow came together, "Aaron… You're scaring me. What's going on?"

The car then stopped and Aaron looked over, only for a moment, before opening the door and getting out of the car.

Quickly, Nephenee followed. "Aaron! Why are you being like—" she stopped, mouth hanging open when she saw it.

"That's what's wrong, Neph." Aaron said, leaning against the car and looking out over the snowy field across the road.

Nephenee put a hand to her mouth. It felt like someone was squeezing her heart, and her throat seemed almost swollen. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't take her eyes off the sign planted right by the road for all to see: _Cantus Construction. New Developments Coming Soon._

Aaron shoved his hands in his pockets, "It was just put up this morning. I passed by yesterday and there was nothing. But when I came to bring Jacob his eggs this morning…"

Nephenee shook her head. "But… They can't! Farming is our way of life!"

"They _can_, Neph!" Aaron turned around to face her, "It's the government! They can do whatever they want, and they don't care who they're trampling over to do it!"

Her hand went back to her mouth. She would have been chewing her nails if it hadn't been for the mitts. "What could they possibly want in Ohma? What is there to build around?"

"Neph, think about it. Melior to the south, Fayre to the east… Two big cities nearby and plenty of open space. It's perfect for people who want a taste of the rural life while being within a reasonable distance of big shopping centrals."

It was true. Nephenee bit her lip as she thought about it. The plans made perfect sense. Farming was a dying profession, she could admit that much. But it was still a way of life. "Does anyone else know?"

Aaron shrugged, "I haven't told anyone, and Jacob keeps quiet about it. When I asked, he didn't say a thing. But they'll find out soon. Not that it matters. A handful of country people won't change the government's mind."

There had to be something she could do about it. Nephenee would never let this happen. But what could possibly change a bunch of bureaucrats' minds?

"Geoffrey…"

Aaron raised an eyebrow, wondering what his sister was mumbling about.

Nephenee looked up, "Geoffrey! Maybe he can help us!"

"That'll be the day."

* * *

><p>FE Frog: Was that fluffy? NO! Was there any fluff? NOT THAT I KNOW OF!<p>

A story is no good without drama.


	6. Hayride

FE Frog: Um... Hi. Been a while, huh? Now, I'm not going to make any excuses this time, or ramble too much. All I have to say is this: I decided to write this because one reader decided to send me a message. A message to ask if I would continue, if I was even interested in continuing, and if I was still alive. I am all three.

Thanks to these reviewers for reviewing the last chaoter:

**Cormag Ravenstaff  
><strong>**Dathedr**

It really means a lot to me and any other writer when readers come to us seeking more. I guess I realized that, even if there aren't many, I deprive not only myself but others of a wonderful story by not writing. So here you go, a short re-introduction to the story.

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><p>The morning had been surprisingly fruitful for Geoffrey. He found almost every gift he intended to give, for everyone he intended to give it to, with one exception…<p>

And that exception sat beside him at the table lost in her own world.

When everyone had reconverged back at the house, he had noticed something was different. Nephenee had something on her mind. It was something troubling. It worried him. But as the meal progressed, she seemed to be inching out of her daze. He caught her smiling ever so slightly, and he felt himself at least somewhat relieved.

"What's the plan for today?" Saerah asked, serving seconds of her delicious scalloped potatoes, the biggest spoonful going to the resident noble.

"Well," Adrianna said after swallowing a rather large portion of potato, "I was going to see some of my friends. Frances is home from Gallia as well, and I haven't seen her in sooooo long. I might even stay the night, if that doesn't bother y'all too much."

Aaron looked up and beamed, "Does that mean I get your bed all to myself?"

There was a certain aspect to his voice that made Geoffrey flinch. It wasn't obvious that he had been struck by the comment, not to anyone but Aaron. Aaron's grin seemed to turn smugger.

Callia gasped, "Ooooooh Nephi! I have an idea! Have you shown Geoff the barn yet?"

Nephenee was zapped out of her thoughts. She looked around at the others before realizing that her sister's question had been directed at her. "Oh, er… No. I haven't. Not yet."

Callia jumped in her seat excitedly. "Geoff, you're gonna love it! I bet you will! There's a swing in the barn!"

He smiled at the little girl, "It does indeed sound like fun. I'd love to see the barn."

"You might want to be careful, Geoffrey." Aaron said, the snide tone still resonating through his voice. "You'll get awful dirty there."

Only Geoffrey and Aaron noticed the look the latter got from his mother. Only they needed to notice it. And Geoffrey felt like he had won this particular challenge, despite feeling bad for thinking that way.

Saerah let everyone but Aaron off the hook when the meal was done. The others had plans, afterall.

Callia dragged Geoffrey out the door before he could even get his boots on properly. Nephenee simply laughed as she put on her coat and followed.

Just around the house, beside the chicken coop, was a barn. It wasn't massive, maybe big enough to house a horse or two if the family wanted it to, but it was nice. It was painted a bright red colour, as Geoffrey expected it to. So typical, one might think, but the O'Malleys were anything and everything but typical. The colour was not an homage to stereotypical farm life, rather to the bright and vibrant dynamic between the family members.

And when Callia opened the door to the bright barn, he smiled. There was hay everywhere, stacked to the rafters in some areas. A platform jut out from the walls, where more things were packed. And from the center beam of the roof, there hung a long, thick rope with plenty of knots. A similar atmosphere to inside the house hung about the barn. If he closed his eyes, Geoffrey would undoubtedly see the O'Malley's beaming and being boisterous and fun and… happy. Something about the thought made his heart clench. He convinced himself that was a good thing.

Callia giggled as she ran to the ladder standing against the platform. "Look Geoff! This is how it goes!" She ran to where the rope was wrapped around a little pillar, unwound it, and grabbed it with both of her hands. "I can fly, just like Rajaion!" She leaped off the platform with a kind of courage he had never seen an eight year old possess. She whooped and hollered, but held on tight as the rope swung to the other side of the barn, and then back. She let go mid-swing and fell into the pillow of hay below, laughing just as hard, if not harder, than before.

Her laugh was infectious, and Geoffrey felt himself chuckling as well. He looked over at Nephenee, who seemed to be back to whatever had perplexed her before. Her somberness was starting to bother him, not so much as make him sad, rather it annoyed him. With a family like hers, he thought it impossible to be sad. So he decided to change that.

Nephenee shrieked as he scooped her up in his arms, making Callia laugh even more, and finally achieved what he had set out to accomplish: to make Nephenee smile. She threw her head back and laughed as Geoffrey carried her towards the ladder, then screamed again as he threw her over his shoulder and began to climb.

"Geoffrey!" She shrieked again, then laughed, "Put me down!"

He only complied when he had reached the top, but at that point he had the rope as well. Instead of carrying her, he wrapped an arm tight around her waist and leaped off the platform.

Both of them yelled as they crashed down together into the hay, a tangle of limbs. Geoffrey still had his arm around her waist, not wanting to let go. Not yet, lest she slip back into those troubling thoughts of hers. And his arm warded them off rather well as she continued to laugh, even wrapping her arms around him contentedly.

When her laughs and convulsions had died down to cheerful giggles, Geoffrey leaned forward and kisses the tip of her nose. Instead of turning red, she beamed up at him, her eyes sparkling. She leaned forward and whispered, "You missed."

"Well, I guess I'll have to try again," He murmured back, grinning. And he leaned forward once more, this time kissing her softly on the lips. And just like in the coop, she kissed back. It ended quickly, but neither were disappointed. In fact, they were glad to move out of the hay, as staying would have meant becoming the new landing strip for Callia as she swung over them again.

For the next hour or so, all that could be heard on the O'Malley farm was the joyful laughter coming from the bright red barn. What else could be expected of the looniest, most lively family in Ohma?

* * *

><p>Fe Frog: SO maybe now I can give my excuses and ramble. I promise I'll TRY not to too much. So... Where to begin? Do any of you remember me mentioning going on exchange to Germany? Guess what? I did it! I was gone from February to July in Speyer, Germany. It really was a wonderful experience, and if any of you are interested in something similar, feel free to ask questions!<p>

As for now, guess what else? I'm a high school senior :O I know, some of you are probably wondering "Whoa, Fe Frog, you're STILL in high school?" I know it's been a long time, okay? But it hasn't been that long. And because of the semester I decided to take off of school here to go to Germany, I kind of have a ridiculous course load. Not to mention I've damned myself to wanting to study in the sciences. I know, crazy right? So I don't have tooooo much time to write, but I'll write what and when I can! I really will! Well, I'll try, anyways.

So there you go. I'm back, guys. For now, anyways. I promise no big adventures for the next couple of months that will keep me away from writing.

And as always, a review is appreciated. It shows me that writing these stories is worth doing. Not only for myself, but for you guys too! Because I like making you guys happy :)


	7. Raising the Bar

FE Frog: Well hello there. Been a while. Thankfully, I've been hit recently with inspiration to keep writing. Granted, I am still very busy. Senior year with LOTS of homework (No spares :( Instead, I've got Physics, Calculus, English and French. Fun, fun and fuuuun) and plenty a-coming. As for random news you probably don't care about, I've actually been accepted by now to my first choice university! (Let's hope) Waterloo here I cooooooooome! If that wasn't enough needless information, I got into their Honours Bachelor of Science Program, where I'll be concentrating on Chemistry and Physics. Yes, I'm actually one of _those_ people.

Now, back to the story. Short chappie, but it advances the plot a bit. There should be more soon, both in the plot of their relationship and the plot of the conflict. And then shit should really go down. Or up. I'm not spoiling ;)

Thanks be to

**DCI Sir Bob**

for reviewing! Want your name up here? Leave a nice review! I know most of the people who used to read probably don't hang around here anymore, but it's be nice to here from those that do again! I haven't forgotten you.

As always, enjoy!

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><p>"What say you and I go out for some drinks after dinner?"<p>

Geoffrey looked over at Yorick, who kept his eyes fixed on the hockey game playing on the TV. "Drinks?"

Yorick laughed, a warm, hearty laugh, and stroked his beard, "Yes, boy!" He finally turned to smile big and bright at his guest, "The boys of Ohma always spend Friday nights in the pub! You're of age, why not come along?" He turned back to the TV, just in time to see the Toha Torpedoes score against the Gados Gladiators. Yorik clapped his hands together as he gave a little shout.

Geoffrey raised an eyebrow, "I thought the closest team to Ohma was the Felirae Thunder?"

Yorik laughed again, the sound booming in the air, "Ah, my boy. As long as they're Crimean, they're good in my books. Especially if they beat a Begnioni team."

Nephenee walked slowly through the doorway, balancing several mugs on a tray so that they wouldn't spill. She set it down, the smells of O'Malley Specialty Hot Cocoa waft through the room, before turning to check the score. "Awesome! 3-1 Toha!"

It made Geoffrey smile. Never had he pictured her as someone so into sports. Maybe she wasn't, but she sure could have fooled him as she excitedly cheered on the players by name.

"Say, Geoff, ever been to a hockey game?" Yorik asked as a mid-period break came on.

Geoffrey lowered his mug and swallowed. "A few times. When I was younger, my father would take me to some of the Melior Royals games. We would watch from the suites, as he was there mostly for business. I once asked if I could try hockey, but my father told me it wouldn't have been a good sport for someone like me."

"Too rough for a palace boy, eh?" Yorik laughed again, then got up from his chair and left the room.

Nephenee moved closer, reaching out to cover Geoffrey's free hand with her own. "I guess he can be a little too bold, sometimes. Sorry about that."

Geoffrey shrugged and took another sip of his hot chocolate. He didn't want it to, but Yorik's comment bothered him. He didn't hold it against the man—Mr. O'Malley would never have meant anything bad by it—but it irked him to think that was how people thought of nobles. It troubled him more to think how true it was. Count Fayre never played or roughhoused with his son. Geoffrey was never taught how to give someone a good what for by his father. Never taught by anyone, really. The closest would have been Duke Renning, who taught him how to fight if need be. Self-defense, not giving someone what they may just deserve.

He never tumbled in the snow, play fighting with friends. Nor did he cause trouble and explore like other boys did. He couldn't, lest his father find out and punish him. He couldn't afford to be thought of as irresponsible, not with the title of two territories weighing down on him.

"Geoffrey?"

He looked up from his mug to see worry in Nephenee's big, blue eyes. The last thing he wanted was to worry her.

She smiled sadly, "What's wrong?"

He shook his head, "Nothing. Don't worry about it, I'm fine."

Her worry turned to a smile and she kissed his cheek before turning back to the TV. The game was back on.

-oOo-

Nephenee bit at her nails as she paced back and forth in her room. She had stalled long enough, she had to talk to Geoffrey about the construction plans. It hadn't helped that Aaron had yet again reminded her, but she knew that the longer she waited, the less likely it was he could help. But how would she bring it up?

A knock on the door decided for her.

"Hey," Geoffrey said, poking his head in, "What are you up to?"

Nephenee dropped her hand—biting was a disgusting habit he didn't need to see that she had. "I was just thinking." _Here's my chance_, "Do you think I could talk to you for a minute?"

Geoffrey raised an eyebrow in question before stepping in and closing the door behind him. "What's bothering you?"

_Here goes_… "Geoffrey, you know how much we love our town, right?"

"Yeah, I imagine so. You all seem quite proud." He stepped forward and took her hands. As he sat down at the foot of her bed, he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "What's eating at you? You know I'll do whatever I can to help."

Nephenee bit her lip, more nervous to continue talking about it than about her position and proximity to him. In fact, she didn't think twice about being in his arms. "They want to build new developments." She finally blurted out, the entire sentence spilling from her lips.

Geoffrey tensed, she could feel it in his arms and the way he suddenly sat up straight, like his spine had been replaced by a thick rod. He looked down to where he was massaging her fingers in his hand. "Nephenee…" He began but didn't know how to finish.

"They're taking the farm lands, the lands that are our livelihoods, and turning them into houses." Nephenee closed her hands around his, "And you're the only one who can stop it."

There it was. Geoffrey would have been lying had he said he wasn't expecting it. Even before, he had heard of the region being zoned in places for new residential areas, but the connection in his head was never made. Not to Ohma. "Listen, Nephenee," He said, choosing every word carefully. He looked up, right at her. "You know how much I would like to help you and the people of Ohma. Even just being here a few days, I love this town. But…" He looked down, taking a breath. "That is one thing I don't think I'll be able to help you with."

Just like that, she was up on her feet, looking down at him. But it wasn't anger in her eyes, it was desperation. "Please, Geoffrey! You're the only one who can help! Can't you at least try? They'll listen to you."

He stood up to join her, taking her hands again in his. He took a deep breath before saying, "Let me think about it, okay? I may try, but I can't promise any results. Duke Ludveck is a hard man to sway, and he's the one with the most say here."

It was better than a no. It gave her hope, enough to make Nephenee smile and wrap her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Geoffrey." And she kissed him, simply and briefly and lovingly.

-oOo-

Dinner had been delicious as per usual. Saerah really was an amazing cook. Geoffrey was tempted to record every single one of her personal recipes to give to the palace chefs, but he knew that not even their best could do her meals justice.

Unfortunately, Geoffrey was too preoccupied by the new development of his stay in Ohma to truly enjoy the meal. He thought on what he could say, if anything, to try and make Ludveck see. But the true battle was whether he believed he should say anything. Yes, Nephenee had a point—farm were a way of life here, but he knew the other side of the story too. He also knew that running blindly to Ludveck would do no one any good. He had to choose his battles wisely.

Nephenee's burst of hope didn't help. She acted as though he had said he would, as though the problem was solved. But he knew it wasn't that easy. Nothing ever was.

Then he and Yorik went out to the Rugged Bull, the one and only pub in town. A follow up game to the one from earlier was on, this one rather intense as it was between the Melior Royals and the Sienne Saints.

"A perfect night to spend with the lads, eh?" Yorik laughed, clapping his guest on the back. "A bit of beer, a bit of hockey, and lots of laughs!"

Geoffrey smiled. He really did try to relax and turn his mind off. He wanted to enjoy this night with Yorik. He listened to Yorik explain who all of his friends were, and shook many a farmer's calloused hand in the process.

"Lucky gal, that Nephenee is." One said, grinning madly, "Never thought she'd snag herself such a handsome lad!"

Another looked Geoffrey up and down, then asked bluntly, "D'you have to wear all those frilly collars back home at yer castle?"

Geoffrey laughed and shook his head, "Never in my life. Except once for a play."

For some reason, this made all of them erupt into laughs.

While conversation continued, every single man in the pub still had an eye on the game. A loud chorus of cheers for every goal, and even louder boos and sneers for every call against a Crimean player.

Geoffrey didn't hold back on the beers. Yorik didn't make any attempt to deter him, either. Instead, he kept buying more.

After several rounds, Yorik put one big paw on Geoffrey's back and said, "I like you, boy! You fit in good with the lads."

Geoffrey beamed back proudly, his cheeks a jolly shade of red. He had forgotten about his earlier worries. Now he was surrounded by friends and good drink, even if he couldn't remember the names of either. "Thank you, sir."

Yorik laughed loudly, a pub kind of laugh that had the rest laughing with him, despite not knowing what for. Geoffrey joined in, and another round was brought to the table.

* * *

><p>Fe Frog: Like I said, more to come (hopefully) soon. I actually have most of the next chapter written out in a notebook.<p>

On a side-note, I apologize for some of this. It was probably quite bland. I need to get back into the JSTG mood. Get a feel for the characters again. May take a bit.

Leave a review, please! It's greatly appreciated.


	8. Something Special

Fe Frog: Um... Hi. Been a while. Well, I won't distract you with a big thing here. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

><p>Nephenee lay awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She hadn't heard Yorik and Geoffrey come home yet, and she worried. Worried that Geoffrey was uncomfortable with the Ohma men, or worse, couldn't stand them. Not a single man over the age of 40 in Ohma had gone to University. A select few had done a college degree, and a few more apprenticeships in different trades. But most were farmers, who learned in a time where if you grew up with it, youwere set for life. Not many could do beyond basic math, and fewer read books that weren't tractor manuals or Livestock magazines. Did he think they were all below him? No, he was too humble for that. Well, too humble to show it. Were they forcing him to drink? She knew all too well how forceful they could be. Not that she had ever gone, but she had to experience Aaron after his first night out after coming of age. He was grumpy enough regularly, but Aaron hung-over was something she never wanted to experience ever again.<p>

With a sigh, Nephenee turned onto her side, pulling the blanket up under her chin. Then an absolutely horrifying thought came to mind. What if the Ohma men – men who had known her since she was a baby—told Geoffrey all the embarrassing stories about her childhood? Like before she turned 3, how she would run around town naked except for cow-boy boots and a soother. Or about the horrible perm she had gotten in grade 6 that made her look like a poodle? All the kids made fun of her up until graduation for that one… What about the time she tripped and fell into the fountain in the town square, right in front of the most handsome guy at school? They were so many stories they could tell him… What if he thought she was an idiot afterwards? What if he just decided to leave after that? Without even saying good-bye?

She didn't even notice her breathing getting short, or her heart racing until she heard the door open downstairs and jumped. _What is wrong with me? Geoffrey would never be so shallow… Right?_ But she hopped out of bed anyways, slipping on a sweater as she tiptoed downstairs to see how they were.

"Geoff, my boy, you sure can hold your liquor!" Yorik whispered, although the whole house could undoubtedly hear him.

Nephenee raised an eyebrow. How much did he drink?

"But even the best of us have our limits."

_Oh no…_ Nephenee continued down to see. Yorik locked the door with one hand, the other holding Geoffrey up. Geoffrey's head lolled from one side to the other as he groaned.

"Ah! Neph! Good to see ya." Yorik smiled, "Yer boy can drink alright. He passes the test." He dragged the noble up the three steps from the front door. "If ya don't mind, dear, I'm far too old to bring him upstairs. 'Specially after carrying him home from the bar."

Nephenee wasn't expecting for him to drop Geoffrey's arm on her shoulders with so little notice. She gave a small yelp as his knees buckled, putting extra weight on her shoulders. "Uh… Sure thing pa."

Yorik went off to the kitchen, probably for an extra gingerbread cookie while Saerah wasn't awake to scold him, leaving Nephenee hunched over to keep Geoffrey on his feet.

"You're dad…. He sho nice…" Geoffrey smiled, his eyelids fluttering to stay open. "They told me lots of shtories. 'Pecially about you."

"I'm sure they did…" Nephenee groaned, "Now let's get you to bed."

"Like the science fair… Besht project at school." Geoffrey mumbled. "Didn' know you liked science."

Nephenee stopped and looked at him, surprised. "They didn't tell you about the fountain incident? Or the cowboy boots?"

"Huh?" It was the only answer she really should have expected, given his state.

"What about the whole hair catastrophe? They didn't say anything?"

Geoffrey somehow managed to keep his eyes open to look at her, and even to blink. "Noooo-pe. Dunno what you're talkin' about."

Nephenee continued, one step at a time. "So… What else did they tell you?"

Geoffrey groaned again, but didn't answer. Nephenee sighed, assuming she had gotten as much as she could out of him for one night.

Finally, she reached the last step, but Geoffrey's foot caught on it and he went tumbling forward. Nephenee just managed to keep him up, but momentum sent her forward as well—right into her room. The bed got in the way of their trajectory and sent them both crashing down.

Nephenee groaned as she lifted her head from Geoffrey's chest, only to see him smiling at her.

"You're so pretty… You know?"

A compliment was a compliment, and it made her flush. The fact that he was drunk made her flush more.

Geoffrey laughed. It was a stupid, drunken laugh. But it made Nephenee laugh too. "'Specially when you laugh."

Nephenee's laugh stopped and she bit her lip. Why was she so flustered all of a sudden? When Geoffrey reached to brush some hair from her face, she only flushed more and looked away. His hand dropped and she looked back. Geoffrey was asleep. In her bed.

Saddened and slightly annoyed, Nephenee got up and tucked him in, pulling off his shoes and kissing him on the cheek before going to the door. She looked back one more time, at the innocent face of a troubled boy, before closing the door behind her.

-oOo-

Nephenee awoke to the sun shining through the window, and the smell of coffee brewing downstairs. She looked up at the window over the bed. _It's a wonder that Aaron can sleep in…_ The sun was so bright, she couldn't even imagine sleeping any longer. And then the thought of Geoffrey in her room popped into her head. How was he doing? Was he really hung-over? Would he be cranky and just all-around terrible like a hung-over Aaron?

Slowly, she got out of Aaron's bed and stretched the sleep away. She pulled on her sweater from last night and left the room. The door to her room was still closed, and she debated knocking to see if he was awake. Instead, she peeked inside. The bed was empty, the blanket pulled back. Nephenee opened the door and stepped inside, looking around. Geoffrey was instead in the corner of the room, standing in front of a bookshelf, an album in his hands.

"Uh… How's your head?" Nephenee asked, sounding a little more pissed off than she meant to at his snooping.

Geoffrey turned and smiled, "Fine, actually."

Nephenee swallowed. _Apparently…_ "What are you doing?"

"I was curious about the young Nephenee. I hope you don't mind." He sat down on the bed and patted the spot beside him. "Why don't you join me and give me some context?"

Nephenee blushed. Context to what exactly? She sat down beside him and looked at the album. They were pictures from middle school. Her best friend from school, Heather, had invited her to come with her family to Toha on vacation at their beach-front cottage. Nephenee had gotten a camera to take with her for her birthday that May, so she had taken many pictures and put together an album of the summer. Not just the summer, but of all 4 years in high school.

"A friend from school?" Geoffrey asked, turning the page to the two of them roasting marshmallows over the fire. Another picture was of them dancing to some silly boy-band song from back then.

Nephenee smiled, remembering how much fun she had had those two weeks. "Yeah. Heather. She was my best friend in school. Since grade 1. One of my only friends."

"Looks like you guys had a lot of fun together."

"Yeah…" Nephenee sighed, "We wanted to go to University together and be roommates. But halfway through grade 12 her mother got really sick, and they had to move to Alpea, closer to the hospital. As far as I know, she never went to university. No money. We haven't really talked since."

Geoffrey was quiet for a moment. It made him sad to hear about someone like that, who seemed to have everything under control and a bright future ahead… All snuffed out in an instant by some horrible tragedy.

He turned the page. There was a picture of Nephenee crouched down at the starting line in a race. The next picture was of her crossing the finish line, arms out in victory. He looked over at Nephenee, who had her head on his shoulder as he turned the pages. "You did track?"

Nephenee looked up, "Oh… Yeah. I started in grade 9, but kept doing it. I did cross-country too."

Geoffrey didn't doubt it. He had wondered if she ever put those beautiful, long legs of hers to good use. Seems as though she did.

"And long jump. And javelin. I was never really into team sports, as you can probably tell."

A lot more than he thought, then.

Geoffrey turned the page again, to a picture of Nephenee at the top of a podium, holding her gold medal proudly. "Gold, huh? Was it a local tournament?"

"The Felirae championships, actually. I won gold in the 100m and silver in javelin. Came 5th in long jump." Nephenee said wistfully.

"Wow. So you must have gone on to the Nationals, right? How did you do there?" Geoffrey asked, turning the page, hoping for an answer.

Nephenee sighed and sat up, leaving Geoffrey's shoulder cold and alone. "Javelin was my first event at Nationals. I fell and broke my ankle before I could even make the throw. Couldn't compete for the rest of grade 12. Haven't done anything since."

Geoffrey looked up from the album and at her, saddened by how she curled up into herself, looking down at the floor. He closed the album and put it aside. Instead of giving her his condolences, he reached over and wrapped an arm around her. He kissed the side of her head.

Nephenee unfurled herself slightly, letting him pull her back to lie down, head on his chest.

"It wasn't so bad when it happened, though. I focused too much on competing, especially in grade 12. After I broke it, I was able to get my grades back up and enjoy the last year I had with my family and friends." Nephenee said, unknowingly giving Geoffrey's hand a squeeze.

Geoffrey stroked her hair, "I suppose everything happens for a reason."

Nephenee looked up and smiled, "Exactly. Daein had been offering me a scholarship with the track team. I probably would have gone there had it not been for my accident."

"And then I would have never met such a wonderful, beautiful girl." Geoffrey smiled back. He turned onto his side, so he could look right at her as he continued stroking her hair. "I'm so glad I met you, Nephenee."

"Me too." Nephenee said, a big smile on her face as well.

Geoffrey caressed her cheek, "Seriously. Not only have you made me look at life in a whole new way, you've shown me what it's like to really like someone for everything that they are."

Nephenee swallowed. How could she have done all that? She barely even kissed him… "I think you're exaggerating, Geoffrey."

Geoffrey's brow came together, "Not at all. Why would you ever think so?"

Nephenee turned onto her back, "I'm not anything special, Geoffrey. I'm just a shy, naïve girl from the farm. No one cares about me, and there's nothing I can truly do for them. I can't change the world like you."

Geoffrey propped himself up so he could look her in the eye. "Don't you ever say that, Neph. Don't you ever think you're not special. Because no one else thinks that."

Nephenee looked at him, confused.

"Last night, all I heard was about the amazing things you did." Geoffrey brushed a strand of hair from her face, "About how you won the science fair—and quite spectacularly at that, coming up with a new idea for fertilizer that the farmers here now use. How you were so determined to do well in school, despite trying just as hard to get far in your athletics. How passionate you were about the things you liked, and how kind you were to those around you. Nephenee, you are _so_ special. And every single person in Ohma thinks so."

Nephenee looked away suddenly, trying to blink back the tears. But Geoffrey turned her face back up to him. She bit her lip, but it didn't help. "D-Did they a-actually say all of th-that?"

Geoffrey sat up, taking her into his arms, "And more." He stroked her hair as she cried into his chest. "I just want you to see how much you mean to everyone. And how much you mean to me. I've never done anything that we've done together here." He kissed her head, "I'm so glad that I got to experience this with you."

"M-Me too." She looked up, "Thank you, Geoffrey."

* * *

><p>Fe Frog: So, not a lot happening this chappie. But I'm trying to get back into it again. Of COURSE the plot bunnies attack me in the middle of finals -_- It still gives me something to do in between studying, I suppose. Well, I hope you enjoyed it! And a big shout out to <strong>Cormag Ravenstaff<strong> for reviewing the last chapter way back in April :P

So I am working on the next chapter- FINALLY getting into the Christmas festivities. Hopefully I don't stop soon :P It's been nice writing again. I just had an absolutely ridiculous end-of Semester/End of High School way back when. And a crazy summer. And now I'm in one of my University's hardest programs... Yeah Chemical Physics! :D Let's tag on managing a long-distance relationship and a somewhat lacking social life. So I'll try to write what I can, when I can.

And here I told myself I wouldn't ramble -_- Well, A review would definitely be appreciated! Although to be honest, I've come to terms with writing this primarily for myself. See you next time!


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